


Fix What I've Broken

by CatiiaSofiia, MissChrisDaae



Series: You Are The Reason [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Dark, Beauty and the Beast Elements, Belligerent Sexual Tension, F/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2020-03-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:33:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 27,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22325620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatiiaSofiia/pseuds/CatiiaSofiia, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissChrisDaae/pseuds/MissChrisDaae
Summary: Being invited to the Palace at Mustafar is the last thing anyone wants, it's synonymous with a death sentence, thanks to the mysterious creature that lives within— Vader. And with the dissolution of the Imperial Senate, Padmé Amidala is about to earn herself a stay in that very palace.But what no one planned was how long that stay would end up being. Despite her being marked for death, Vader cannot bring himself to kill the beautiful woman, electing instead to keep her within the castle. And with nothing else to do, Padmé finds herself deeply interested in deciphering the mystery that her captor presents.
Relationships: Padmé Amidala/Darth Vader
Series: You Are The Reason [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1606999
Comments: 85
Kudos: 233





	1. My Heart Keeps Bleeding

“Your Majesty?” Padmé Amidala rose to her feet, looking down from her pod at where Sheev Palpatine stood in the center of the Senate Rotunda. “May I speak before you dismiss us?”

A deadly silence fell over the assembly. A few moments before, they’d all been descending into a panic with the _Emperor’s_ declaration that the Senate was to be dissolved, but now, they were all watching her. She could feel them holding their breath, but she never broke eye contact with the man who had once been her mentor.

“I believe we are done here, Senator,” Palpatine said coldly and gave a small nod. Behind Padmé, a couple of guards from Palpatine’s private order appeared. “There is nothing else to be said.”

“But I am no longer a Senator, am I?” she countered defiantly. “I am speaking to you as a private citizen, and as someone who once considered you a friend and a mentor. And since we were scheduled to be here all day, you’re not doing anything else. For the sake of a former student, _indulge me._ ”

Palpatine was an intelligent man. He knew very well that his former protegée had a speech prepared. A speech that would move her colleagues. A speech he did not need as he took the first couple of steps into taking control of his Empire. He did a sharp wave of his hand and two guards stepped forward, grabbing one of her arms each. “Our session is over.” He declared.

“But I’m not done!” she insisted, gripping the edge of her pod despite the hold on her arms. “Thirteen years ago, you stood in this pod at my side, you convinced me to put my trust in you, and you have abused it ever since! You are a traitor to every ideal of our homeworld and the _Republic_ you once swore to serve, you are no true son of Naboo!”

The scandalized gasps rippled through the Rotunda, and she knew that Bail Organa and Mon Mothma were probably horrified that she was being so suicidally reckless, but she could no longer find it in her heart to care. Her use as an asset to the Rebellion was minimal at this point, she was more a figurehead than anything else. Replaceable.

His eyes flashed gold as he faced her and the guards dragged her away from her pod. Palpatine refused to answer to her provocation. He no longer owed anyone an explanation. His word was law. He knew exactly what he would do with her, who would handle her. He should have taken care of her a long time ago, he’d always known Padmé Amidala would be a thorn in his side.

“Get your hands off me!” she demanded, thrashing in their grip. They were tall enough that they were lifting her off the ground, with only the sheer train of her gown trailing across the floor. “Let go!”

They were silent and ignored her protests, being strong enough to handle her trashing around. They didn’t stop until they reached the docks, where an unmarked shuttle was already being prepared. As they dragged her up the ramp, it began to close and the ship roared to life, ready to take off and take her to her final destination.

A cold feeling began to rise in her stomach as she was knocked to the floor by the liftoff. This couldn’t be… could it? She struggled to her feet just as a holoscreen flickered to life on the cabin wall, displaying the Emperor’s face.

“If you had simply stood by my side, my dear, such a course of action wouldn’t be needed,” he said regretfully. “You could have had so much power. You could have helped me rule this Galaxy. But you are weak. I do not tolerate _weakness._ ”

“I had the strength to stand by my convictions and my morals,” she retorted. “Don’t play the disappointed teacher when you’ve abandoned all the lessons you taught me.”

“You should have listened better,” he said coldly. “I had such high hopes, my dear, it’s a shame that such potential will be thrown away, but I can’t let you and that smart mouth of yours free in the Galaxy. I guess that by now, you must have imagined where you are being taken. You are smart enough, aren’t you?”

“No one in this galaxy has been free since you declared yourself Emperor,” Padmé replied coldly, ignoring his question. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing her nervous.

His smile was cruel. “No one was ever free. Freedom is an illusion. I don’t really care about illusions. You shouldn’t either,” he laced his fingers together. “Lord Vader will certainly be entertained by you,” he smirked. “I haven’t sent him any food in a while.”

“If you’re expecting me to crumble in fear at the revelation you’re _inviting me to the palace on Mustafar,_ ” she rolled her eyes at the euphemism, “you’ll be sorely disappointed.”

“I’ll be sure to pass on your final words to your family,” he said, unbothered. “You could have been great, Padmé. Now, you will be nothing but a small, washable stain in my Empire’s story.”

The hologram disappeared, leaving Padmé alone again, surrounded by the guards. “Lord Vader,” she tasted the name on her tongue with a frown. “I suppose none of you are going to tell me anything about the man who’s going to kill me.”

Easily, she could tell they tensed. One of the guards swallowing loudly and another shuffled nervously. Clearly, none of them were happy to go to Mustafar. “Oh, come now, no one wants to go back to your master and tell him how terrified I was when you threw me to his pet assassin?” she goaded. “I’ll even faint if you put in enough effort.”

“You will be terrified.”

“Lord Vader is a monster.”

“He will separate your head from your body before you can bore him with your speeches.”

“The way you’re talking, I think I’m being sent to a prison where I’ll starve to death, and Vader’s simply a myth Sheev concocted. A monster to live under the beds of his political enemies,” Padmé said defiantly. “Is that really all you know?”

“You’re a fool,” the oldest guard said. “You shouldn’t have betrayed the Emperor. You will wish for the starving when he comes to you. When he murders you in cold blood.”

“The Emperor betrayed this galaxy first, and lost all right to my loyalty when he did so.”

“The Emperor’s not the one on a shuttle to Mustafar, is he?” One drawled out sarcastically as he bound her wrists.

“Any leader who refuses to take criticism is a tyrant,” she countered. “One day, the galaxy will remember me as a martyr, and you will be among those listed on the wrong side of history.”

“History will forget you. As it has forgotten many others who had landed on Mustafar.” Then, her world went black.

* * *

Mustafar was a volcanic planet, located in the Outer Rim, and a proven beacon of the energy of the dark side of the force. It was hot. Toxic. Somber. Nothing about the planet was pleasant and ever since the myth of the monster in the castle, once a Sith temple, spread around the Galaxy, everybody made sure to avoid being anywhere near it.

 _The monster in the castle…_ it sounded like a child’s holobook, a threat to have them eat their vegetables and go to bed on time. Many believed the myth and were terrified. Others found it unfounded. However, the truth was the men and women that came here never returned home.

The shuttle landed and the ramp descended, two lines of droids waited for the guards who dragged the still unconscious Padmé closer to the fortress entrance, before throwing her on the ground. They did not go close to Lord Vader. Only the droids.

“Which prisoner is this?” the nearest droid asked dully, indicating the former Senator with a hand. “Confirm identity.” The lead guard reached down and slapped the petite brunette across her face, propelling her across the ground. She stirred with a whimper as her head knocked against the doors.

“Padmé Amidala,” the guard answered gruffly. “Of Naboo. The Emperor has no more use for her.”

“Padmé Amidala, confirm identity,” the lead droid ordered as two of its colleagues lifted her up from the ground. She opened her eyes, the brown gaze unfocused. “Confirm identity.”

“My name is Padmé Naberrie. I was Queen Amidala of the Naboo and Senator of the Chommel Sector,” she managed to say hazily.

“Identity confirmed. You will be brought to Lord Vader for termination,” the droid announced as its companions turned away from the guards and the shuttle, and walked, in sync, towards the looming black castle. By now, Padmé was beginning to regain her awareness properly, and she gagged on the acrid smell of Mustafar’s air. Her white dress had been torn and smeared with the black soil of the planet and her hair had come unbound from its sleek knot. Hardly the ideal way to die a martyr, but that was what was happening now.

The doors opened, and she was slightly surprised that there was practically no difference between inside and out. It was all gleaming black stone and hellish orange and red light, but in the far distance, she could see what she suspected was the silhouette of her executioner. “I thought you would be taller,” she said dryly. He would not see her cower. 

The mask he wore, with black eyes, did not portray any emotion. It made her question if, before her, was a man or a droid. By the looks of the black armor he wore, and the mechanical breathing that echoed over the room, the only viable option would be a droid, one Palpatine had created him in a laboratory with specific protocols. A creature to be feared by the galaxy, to be his executioner. A creature that stood still in front of her, bright red lightsaber in one of his hands. 

_But then why the breathing?_ “Go on,” she goaded softly, looking at the lightsaber. “Do it. It’s your job, isn’t it?”

His head tilted to the side, but the rest of his body remained still. He seemed to ponder for a moment before raising the lightsaber dangerously close to her neck, cutting a few locks of hair that fell to the floor.

“I won’t recant,” she pointed out, trying very hard to stay calm with the beam of the saber so close to her skin. “When the law is morally wrong, the right thing to do is to speak against it. I’ve done the same thing in plenty of other situations. Would you like me to list them off? Hear my last confession?” Slowly, he raised his head to the droids. While no words were spoken, she heard the droids march out of the room, leaving it in complete, deafening silence. Looking back at her, he waited, his lightsaber remaining still.

“I’ve given money to people I knew to be members of the Rebel Alliance,” she listed. “I’ve sheltered refugees whose homes were destroyed by the Empire, against Imperial command. I’ve participated in the liberation of slaves. And I would do it all again.”

Vader’s movements were quick and for a moment, it looked like he would carry the execution through. But the heat of the beam from the lightsaber disappeared and her executioner’s heavy steps were heard. She watched him retreat, mechanical breathing becoming farther and farther away as he left her on the floor, unable to realize what had happened.

Minutes later, frantic, mechanical steps were heard. “Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.” She turned towards the voice to see a golden protocol droid approaching her.

“What’s happening?” she asked slowly. “Why didn’t he kill me?”

“I am See-Threepio, human-cyborg relations. I am here to take care of your, Mistress Padmé.” He tilted his head. “Can you walk?”

“Mistress?” she repeated.

“Yes,” he said obviously. Or as obviously as a droid could. “I am in your service during your stay.”

“My stay.”

“Until Master Vader decides your fate.”

“I thought the Emperor had already done that.” She did not move from where she stood, trying to process this.

“I do not understand it myself,” he replied truthfully, never in his service of Master Vader had such a request being made, but he couldn’t complain about having something different to do. Mustafar could be a very dull location for a _human_ -cyborg relations droid. “Are we really going to stand here for the rest of the day? I do not believe Master Vader would enjoy that,” he pointed out. “I am supposed to take you to our guest wing. I didn’t know we had a guest wing, but apparently, such a thing exists and if you could be so kind in sparing me the ordeal of telling my Master that you can’t move, I can take you to much more comfortable surroundings,” a pause, “I hope.”

“Fine,” she conceded, letting her shoulders slump a little. “Show me what tomb I’m sleeping in until he finishes dragging his feet and does away with me like the Emperor wants.”

“We do not sleep in tombs,” Threepio said, offended. “Technically, we do not sleep. _I_ recharge, and Master Vader… his arrangement is complicated. And classified. But we do not have _tombs_ , my lady,” he began walking, expecting her to follow. “We will have to arrange you with some food and proper clothing. What you are wearing is all torn up.”

“That is generally what happens when one is forcefully dragged from the Senate and shoved into a ship bound for a distant planet,” she retorted. “And whether or not you say so, this _is_ a tomb. I’m going to die here, just like everyone else has.”

“How very dramatic, my lady,” he kept walking. “Although it is true, I can say that this is the first time Master Vader has me taking care of one of his missions. If you were to be killed, my lady, he would have done it,” he explained as they entered long, black stone corridors, stripped of any decoration, of any life. 

“But he didn’t tell you why.”

“He is my Master. He does not need to.”

“I don’t appreciate being toyed with, See-Threepio.”

“Would you appreciate being dead, my lady?”

“I had prepared myself for it. To still be alive is currently off-putting.”

“I understand, my lady,” Threepio replied. “However, you still have your head, so we should be positive about this. We are nearly there.”

Droids would pass by them, without acknowledging their existence. Some were house droids, that took care of the castle and maintained the structure, many others were guards. In each window. In each door. It was an authentic fortress. Threepio was the only droid with different plating and he stood out in the middle of the dark walls, orange light and gray, serving droids. One could definitely see he was special.

“Are there any other people here? At all?”

“No, my lady.”

“And yet Vader’s keeping me.”

“Yes, my lady.”

“That makes no sense.”

“Indeed, my lady.”

Padmé huffed, pulling her train out of the way of a cleaning droid. “Your Master has a very odd bug in his programming.”

It made Threepio pause very suddenly. “Master Vader does not have _bugs,_ my lady. Humans are usually free of such complicated things.”

“He’s _human_?”

“Yes,” he replied very seriously. “Why would you think otherwise, my lady?”

She didn’t answer. She was still trying to make sense of the revelation. Vader was human. “He doesn’t look it.” A disturbing thought crossed her mind. Was her death going to be slower? More painful? Had Vader decided that he would violate her body before he executed her?

"You look ill, my lady. We are nearly there and you'll be able to rest properly." 

“Will I?” she was asking herself more than the droid.

"No one will bother you except if Lord Vader summons you," explained Threepio. 

“Summons me,” she repeated, shaking her head. “Lovely way to talk about it.”

"Yes, he could decide to kill you." Threepio stated very bluntly. 

“There’s no ‘could’ about it. He’s going to kill me,” she pointed out. “You know it, See-Threepio.”

The droid looked at her for a few long minutes. "Today, my lady, I learned I don't know everything about my Master," he turned around and started walking again.

Padmé scowled behind the droid’s back as they approached a glossy black door. "Here we are," he said cheerfully opening the doors. "See, my lady, it’s not a tomb."

“It’s not exactly _cozy_ either, is it?” she remarked, stepping inside the small chamber and surveying her surroundings. The walls were bare, there were no windows, nothing to make it at all inviting. The only things in the room were a large black bed, a wardrobe, and a paneled door she suspected led to a fresher. “I suppose it’s an adequate prison cell.”

“It has been abandoned. We do not decorate.” Threepio pointed out. “I will ask the serving droids to get you some food.”

“I’m not hungry, and I would honestly rather sleep,” she said brusquely. “You can leave, See-Threepio.”

“They will bring you a tray,” he replied, completely ignoring her. “Goodnight, my lady,” he said before leaving.

Slowly, Padmé sank onto the edge of the bed, trying to process everything that was happening. Even if she wasn’t dead _yet,_ she still knew it was coming. And the specter of her captor seemed to be looming in every shadowed corner of this room.

* * *

“Is it done?” The blue hologram of the now Emperor Palpatine asked, as his apprentice knelt, head bent in respect.

“Yes, Master.”

“Good. That woman was nothing but a problem to our Empire, my apprentice.”

A moment of hesitation. “Yes, Master.”

“I expect to be occupied over the course of the next few months. I need to establish my position with the rest of the Galaxy. I will communicate with you when it’s necessary to put our enemies in line, however. I am expecting full compliance.”

“As you wish, Master.”

“You are a good servant, my apprentice. You will be rewarded.”

As the hologram disappeared, Vader stooped, his breathing almost sounding apprehensive. Turning around, he faced the screens that showed the security feed of the old guest wing, watching the woman he had spared accompanied by his protocol droid.

His Master was right. She was a problem. And now she was _his_ problem.


	2. There Goes My Mind

Padmé woke to find C-3PO and a few other droids standing over her, one of them with a tray of food in its arms. “Is this normal behavior for you?” she asked dryly, pushing herself up to look at them. “Or do you just have nothing else to do?”

“I believe it’s the latter, my lady,” Threepio replied. “We’ve brought you food and there are clean clothes in the wardrobe. The fresher is completely functional.”

“Are you planning to wash me, or am I allowed to do that myself?”

“You are allowed to do it yourself, my lady,” he said naturally. 

“Good, then put the tray and the clothes down and leave me to it,” she ordered curtly.

“Of course, my lady. Just please note that you are not allowed to leave the guest wing,” Threepio pointed out as the serving droid set the tray down on the table, and left the room, followed shortly by Threepio.

“Guest wing,” Padmé repeated, rolling her eyes as she removed the white silk slip that she’d slept in. Her ruined dress from the day before had vanished in the night, presumably taken by another of the serving droids. Striding into the fresher, she drew herself a bath and slipped into the tub, letting the hot water lap against her skin.

A night’s sleep had not provided any kind of clarity as to why Vader had decided to spare her, even briefly. And the fact that she was confined to the guest wing, whatever that meant, was not helpful either. She idly traced the shape of him in the water, trying to figure out what he wanted of her. When her fingers began to wrinkle, she rose from the tub and wrapped herself in a towel, returning to the main chamber.

The clothes in the wardrobe were surprisingly high-quality, even if she could tell they’d been generically made instead of personally commissioned, the way she was used to. After a moment’s consideration, she selected a pale mauve gown with sleeves that left her shoulders bare and dressed quickly, determined to figure out exactly how far the extent of her prison ran.

* * *

“My lady, please,” Threepio stated, as exasperated as a droid could be. “I have told you. You are not allowed past the guest wing. You need to return to your room.”

“And do what?” Padmé asked, whirling on the golden protocol droid. “I have no means of entertaining myself in there, nor anywhere else from the looks of it. Or is that your master’s plan? Boring me to death?”

“We could arrange some holobooks for you,” the droid said. “Sections of the palace are restricted. We don’t want to upset Master Vader. Now, please, my lady. Let’s return.”

“Let him be upset! What will he do? Kill me?”

“Most likely. Are you so eager to be killed, my lady?”

“I was sent here to die,” she pointed out, rolling her eyes as she spoke in a slow, patronizing tone. “You know it’s inevitable, I know it’s inevitable. And I would rather not spend what is left of my life simply waiting for that saber of his to finally swing.”

“Do we have a problem with our visitor, Threepio?” A deep, mechanical voice sounded eerily close to her back. Padmé froze, realizing this was the first time she was hearing Vader speak. His voice shook her to the core, sending chills through her body that made it impossible for her to move.

“I am sorry, Master Vader, Lady Padmé insists on exploring the castle.”

“Why?” He asked flatly. “It’s all black stone and metal. The guest wing is more comfortable and less dangerous for our visitor, Threepio, you would do well to remind her of that.”

“I am  _ trying,  _ Master Vader,” for a second, the droid sounded offended.

“I am standing right here, and would appreciate it if you stopped talking as if I weren’t,” Padmé pointed out coldly, folding her arms across her chest. “And your guest wing is sorely lacking in any kind of way your  _ guests _ might keep themselves occupied. Wandering this mausoleum of a fortress is the only thing that is even remotely entertaining.”

He looked at her for a moment, perhaps wondering if he should address her directly or ignore her and return to his duties, leaving Threepio to handle a meter and sixty centimeters of trouble. “See-Threepio is assigned to take care of you,” he pointed out. “You should not make him short circuit with worry because you insist on being obstinate. I am sure he has offered you all we have at our disposal in the Fortress.”

“Meager offering that it is,” she scoffed. “My lord, we both know exactly how this ends. Why draw it out?”

“Oh, you foresee the future, Senator Amidala?”

“Sheev Palpatine sent me here to die. You serve him. It’ll happen eventually. He doesn’t choose servants that disobey him.”

“Good fortune-teller, isn’t she, Threepio?”

“No, Master Vader, I do not believe in fortune-tellers,” Threepio replied matter-of-factly.

“He’s very literal,” Vader said, still in the same flat tone, his helmet concealing any kind of expression, any hint of personality. “Senator, do not assume to know everything. I have heard that know-it-alls are not people the Galaxy is fond of.”

“You’re charming,” she scoffed. “I can see why he keeps you here.”

“Aesthetics,” he replied without missing a beat. Then there was a long pause where the two of them simply stared at each other. “For your own good, you should start listening to Threepio, Senator.”

“What does my own good even mean anymore, Lord Vader?”

“How fond of your life you are, Senator,” he turned away and left them, without giving her a chance to reply.

“ _ Existing _ in here is not a life,” Padmé muttered to Threepio. “My life was my home, my family, my beliefs. I have none of those now. I’m a ghost that still draws breath.”

“The Galaxy does believe you are dead, Senator, but you are not a ghost,” Threepio said as he began guiding her back to her chambers. “You should have hope.”

“Hope of  _ what _ ?” She shook her head.

“That Master Vader has no intention of killing you whatsoever.”

“So I can spend the rest of my natural life in this place? Wonderful.” Padmé looked down the hall Vader had used. None of this made any kind of sense.

“At least we have windows,” Threepio said, opening the door to her chambers. “Should I have those holobooks fetched for you?”

“Yes please,” she sighed. If this was her new forever, she was going to need a  _ lot _ of reading material.

* * *

Padmé closed her copy of the  _ Epic of Set and Veré _ , staring at the wall. Threepio’s idea of literature was a collection of various myths and epics from across the galaxy, apparently, and she’d read every single one back to front by this point. She could probably recite them if prompted.

“Lady Padmé, if I could interrupt?”

“There’s nothing to interrupt, I’m not doing anything important,” she said, adjusting the sash of her pale pink dress as she stood up. “I’ve read everything you brought me.”

“Lord Vader has arranged for more holobooks to be brought,” Threepio said, carrying them over to the table. “I did tell him you had finished all the holobooks in the fortress in under a week, and Master Vader does not want you to get bored.”

She moved over to inspect the new stack of books and frowned slightly. She had seen these titles advertised, they were all books commissioned by Palpatine and his flunkies. Imperial propaganda at its finest. “He  _ really _ shouldn’t have.”

“He insisted,” Threepio said, oblivious to the sarcasm dripping from her voice.

“How kind of him,” she scowled. “Please, do convey my…gratitude to him.”

“Certainly, my lady, should I arrange for a tray of food to be brought so you can start your reading?”

“Please.”

Threepio left her with her new reading material, closing the door behind him as he went on his way to cheerfully inform his Master of how successful the gift had been.

* * *

Three days later, the stack of new holobooks lay completely untouched, and Padmé had started picking at the threads of the dresses she’d been given, thinking she might be able to alter them until she remembered she didn’t have the tools for such a project. And she didn’t want to ask Vader for  _ anything.  _ She didn’t want to owe him.

“Lady Padmé, I have another gift for you,” Threepio announced cheerfully as he waltzed inside the room, box in his hands. “Master Vader is focused on making you feel comfortable.”

“I see.”

“It’s a new dress, my lady, would you like to try it?”

“Just leave it, I’m perfectly comfortable in what I’m wearing now,” she replied coolly. “Thank you, See-Threepio, you can go.”

Threepio remained rooted on the spot. “I insist, my lady. Master Vader would like to know if you liked it and if it fits. I have conveyed to him how your clothes do not fit you properly.”

Padmé opened the box and unfolded the contents, then stared at the droid in disbelief. “ _ Absolutely not.  _ I will wear something like this when this entire planet looks like  _ Hoth _ .”

“It is from one of the finest designers in the Galaxy, my lady, with the finest materials,” Threepio sounded offended on behalf of his Master. “What is so wrong with the dress?”

“It’s barely a dress!” she retorted, brandishing the sheer fabric at him. “I would look more modest if I was completely naked!”

Threepio stared at the dress for a moment. “Mustafar is a very warm planet, my lady, I don’t think a heavier dress would be better suited.”

“Well, there can certainly be fabrics that look  _ less _ like my skin! And  _ he  _ wanders around this place wearing that heavy black suit!” Padmé stuffed the dress back into its box. “I’m not wearing it.”

Threepio closed the box but left it in her room, as he wandered off, definitely heading to his Master with the displeased feedback of their visitor.

* * *

“Whatever he’s sending with you today, I don’t want it. And you can take  _ this _ back with you.” Padmé flung the chain of gold and multicolored gems over her shoulder, expecting to hear the sound of metal hitting metal. “I am not some cheap mistress to be bought off!”

The metal made a dry sound as it hit something else. It certainly wasn’t Threepio.

“Whoever called you such a thing is terribly mistaken,” Vader’s deep, mechanical voice echoed in the room. “I take it the jewelry has been refused, as well?

“What use do you think I have for it?” she demanded, turning around defiantly. “Where do you think I’m going to wear it? The five rooms I’m allowed to inhabit with no one but your droids for company?”

He looked down at the necklace at his feet. “What would you prefer, then? I have tried holobooks, clothes, jewelry… I never thought women would be so difficult to please.”

“Women do not exist as a single entity,” she retorted. “We have different things that interest us and please us, and  _ this _ particular woman is still seeking some kind of answer as to why you care about pleasing her. And why you saved her at all.”

“If you are staying, I would prefer if you were comfortable,” he said, deflecting her question. “What will you wish, then?”

“ _Why_ _am I staying_?” she pressed. “If this is to be the rest of my life, I think I deserve an explanation!”

“I never heard so much complaining over being alive,” he stated dryly. “If you do not tell me what you prefer to keep you occupied, I will keep telling Threepio to bring you all sources of amusement. You might enjoy them, or not. What do you think it’s easier?”

She gave him a withering glance. “I enjoy strategy games like dejarik. And holonovels that are  _ not _ imperial propaganda. And clothes that have some semblance of modesty. If there’s nothing else, will you let me get back to wasting the rest of my days in here?”

“I will ask Threepio to arrange it,” he stated with a nod before shuffling in annoyance. “Would you rather I kill you and have you thrown into the lava rivers that run beneath this fortress? I’m not fond of people who have a tendency to whine.”

“And I’m not fond of being kept in the dark!” she shot back. “If you could just tell me  _ why, _ I might be a little more agreeable. What is it? Are you secretly working with the Alliance? Did they tell you to save me?”

“Are you calling me a traitor, Senator?” Vader challenge.

“I suppose it would be too much to hope that you have some sense of human decency,” she sighed.

“I thought you believed I was a droid,” he quipped. “Isn’t that what you told Threepio?”

“He corrected me.”

“Yet, he did not tell you the whole truth,” Vader shrugged. “I will leave you then. To  _ waste  _ the rest of your days or whatever dramatic line you delivered,” he turned around, his black cape flying behind him.

“Oh, I see, your real plan is to psychologically torture me,” she scowled at his retreating back.

Vader hesitated for a brief second, before leaving her behind, Threepio meeting him halfway. “Your suggestions have been useless.”

“My apologies, Master Vader, I will start working on Lady Padmé’s requests,” Threepio replied. “Also, maybe if we gift her with more personal things, she will be more comfortable.”

“Such has?”

“Lady Padmé is from Naboo. Maybe if we go from there?”

“Hmm. Tell me. What do you have in mind?”

“Perhaps one of the spare rooms might be converted into a garden for her use, Master. With flowers native to her homeworld? Or perhaps we could have the kitchen droids make cuisine from Naboo.”

“I don’t believe flowers prosper in Mustafar, Threepio, but you are welcome to request the kitchen droids to make her food from Naboo.”

“Very good, Master Vader.” Threepio nodded. “I’m sure you’ll be successful eventually!”


	3. I Need You to See

“Dinner is to be served in the main dining room tonight, my Lady.”

Padmé looked up in surprise. “What?”

“Master Vader would like if you joined him for dinner tonight.”

“And why would I agree to such a thing?” she asked coldly. “So I can spend an evening wallowing in the frustration that comes from him refusing to answer simple questions?”

“You do not know that unless you accept the invitation. If you ask the right questions, maybe Master Vader will answer.”

“And what happens if I  _ don’t _ accept the invitation?”

“Then the feast that the kitchens have prepared with the delicacies from Naboo will go to waster,” Threepio replied. “Which is a shame, my lady, don’t you think?”

“Naboo?” she repeated slowly. “Dinner is cuisine from Naboo?”

“Yes, at the request of Master Vader,” Threepio nodded and paused for a moment. “Should I tell him you won’t be joining him, then?”

“No, no,” she shook her head. “I’ll be there. I just need to change. You can tell him I’ll be there.”

“Of course, my lady,” he sounded pleased. “I know Master Vader will be delighted.”

“How wonderful to know,” she exhaled through a forced smile as she approached the wardrobe and considered her options. She would  _ not _ be wearing that skimpy monstrosity he’d tried to gift her, but maybe… Her gaze landed on a dress, one that she would have considered gaudy and tasteless during her time in the Senate, but for tonight… it would suffice. If Vader wanted her to be his trophy, she might as well be decorated in gold.

She’d gotten used to dressing herself without her handmaidens, but she wished that she had them tonight, so that they could do something with her hair. Ideally, she would have had her hair twisted up and away from her neck, so he could see the choker and the cape that matched the gown, but as it stood, she would have to leave the chestnut curls resting on the shimmering gold fabric.

For a moment, she considered her reflection in the mirror, pursing her lips in thought before nodding. Tonight, she was going to get answers.

* * *

“Lord Vader, Mistress Padmé has arrived,” Threepio announced happily as he opened the door of the dining room for Padmé. She swept into the room looking like a waterfall of gold and took a seat across the table from him.

“My lord.”

“Senator.” He replied curtly. “You’ve surprised me tonight,” he stated as he sat, still, at the opposite side, the table only set on hers.

“The Senate is dissolved,” she reminded him. “The title you’re using no longer holds any meaning. And even if it  _ did _ still exist, I was expelled from it when I was sent here to be executed. Just because you’ve delayed that doesn’t change that fact.”

“Do you always begin dinner with such a strong attitude?” Vader shook his head. “Will you prefer if I call you Lady Amidala, then?”

“I suppose it’s more accurate,” she mused as one of the serving droids filled her glass with wine, and she picked it up, raising it to her nose. “Hmmm. Domaine de la Maison sur le Lac. And a good vintage too. Are you planning on getting me drunk?”

“I didn’t think you would appreciate a cheaper wine,” he replied matter-of-factly. “You are the one who decides how much you drink tonight. It will be your decision, Lady Amidala, I will leave it up to you.” 

“Why did you invite me to dinner if you weren’t planning to eat?”

“My diet is complicated, I wouldn’t want to disturb you,” he dismissed it. “I have invited you so you could waste away in some other room than your chambers,” he added, almost mockingly. “Isn’t that what you are determined to do?”

“What else would you have me do, Lord Vader?” she countered. “You refuse to offer me any kind of clarity as to why you decided to spare my life and keep me here like some prized pet, rather than execute me as you were ordered. It seems I have no choice but to waste my time with whatever meager entertainments you decide I’m allowed to have and ask questions you won’t answer.”

“Are you always this passionate?” He questioned, curiously. “Why can’t you accept I spared your life? Is that so unthinkable?”

“I’ve gotten to the point where I finally understand that no one does anything without ulterior motives. You can thank the Emperor for that,” she answered, taking a bitter sip of her wine. “The last time I believed in his altruism, he corrupted the Republic and turned it into this nightmare we now all live in.”

“Why is it such a nightmare?” Vader questioned. “The Republic was failing, was it not?”

“It had its flaws, but that is no case for replacing freedom with tyranny,” Padmé explained. “When speaking your mind becomes a crime, when an empire is built on the backs of people in chains, when one person’s desires can mean the destruction of millions of lives… It’s wrong. There’s no other word. The Emperor set that in motion when he funded the blockade of Naboo that brought me to the Senate, all so I could circumvent the process with a vote of no confidence. He used me, he put an entire planet in danger, all so that he could have a throne.” She shook her head, tears beginning to form in her eyes. “So many lives were lost for his ambition. So many people suffered.”

“If the Republic had been effective, the Emperor would have not been able to take full control and dissolve the Senate,” Vader pointed out, after a few moments of silence. “Why? Why did it fail, Lady Amidala?”

“Because he didn’t do it all at once.” As her plate was set in front of her, she folded her hands. “This castle, it has a foundation, doesn’t it? Pillars, or some such thing?”

“It has an ancient construction, taken advantage of when building the fortress, yes.”

“So if that foundation were destroyed, this castle would collapse, wouldn’t it?” she pointed out, taking a bite of the meat in front of her.  _ Nuna… it’s been so long. _

“Not immediately, but eventually.”

“That’s what Palpatine did. After he became Chancellor, and the state of emergency began, he gathered more and more power, he destroyed more and more of the protocols and laws that kept the Republic in place. And when it was ready to collapse, he produced the Empire as a solution.”

“He is nothing if not a patient man,” Vader agreed. “If his ideals are so horrible, why is the Galaxy so willingly bending to his will?” 

“Like you said, he’s patient. He waited for people to get acclimated to his reign, he made them dependent on him, he made them believe he could keep them safe, and they chose to give up freedom for security. But the truth is, those who don’t bend to his will, he destroys.”

“That I can vouch for,” he replied, and if he hadn’t been wearing a helmet, she could have sworn he was smirking. He paused, drumming his fingers on the table as she ate. “What would you do differently? The Galaxy is in ruins. Fighting against each other. Destroying each other. Hate, poverty, death… it has lost its path. Sort of a hopeless cause, isn’t it?”

“What I would do isn’t exactly what I believe in,” she points out. “I’d want to restore the Republic… End the slave trade for good, get rid of that awful  _ Death Star—” _

“ _ — _ I find it a magnificent piece of work,” he added.

“There should be no reason why anyone needs something that can blow up a planet. It’s an instrument of war and destruction.”

“What else?” He prompted. “That can’t be all. I can guarantee you that for the past decade and a half, the Emperor has organized his priorities. If you would ever hope to go against him, you should have a better plan than to get rid of a perfectly constructed and designed war moon.”

“ _ War moon, _ ” she huffed. “The funding for which could have gone to refugee resettlement, or aid for those citizens of the galaxy who were lacking food and power because of the war.”

“You didn’t answer the question,” he said.

“Is this your backhanded way of trying to find out the Rebel Alliance’s plans?”

“You were taken, Lady Amidala, don’t you think they would have changed them by now?” He asked dryly. “Or do you consider your former colleagues incompetent?”

“Maybe I consider  _ you _ incompetent.”

“Oh?” He sounded amused. “You do? Please do tell me why.”

“Your clumsy attempts at seduction, for one thing.”

“ _ Seduction _ ?” Now, he was mostly confused.

“The dress, the jewelry, this dinner. It’s some kind of perverse courtship, is it not?” she countered. “I  _ know  _ you’re human. You have feelings.”

“You overestimate my  _ feelings,  _ Lady Amidala,” Vader stated, standing up. Whatever that dinner was, it had just ended. “I had no second intentions regarding the gifts, I believed that as a woman you enjoyed clothes and jewelry. That is what your kind enjoys, is it not?” His mechanical voice was aggravated. “Dinner was, well, a waste of time apparently. Nothing seems to please you.”

“I could say the same about you. It seems we know exactly the same amount of information about one another,” she shot back, folding her arms. “Who even  _ are _ you? His bastard son? A mercenary? A clone? A  _ slave? _ ”

His response was a door closing, a small beep announcing the lock being activated, and no more answers. Threepio entered the dining hall, glancing from Padmé to the closed door that led to his Master’s wing. “Something you said, Lady Padmé?”

“It’s not as though he would tell me either way,” she huffed.

“Master Vader was in good spirits before dinner began,” Threepio pointed out. “Have you offended him, Lady Padmé?”

“I couldn’t say, I don’t know what offends him,” she answered innocently, taking another bite of her dinner.

“ _ What  _ did you say exactly, my lady?” Threepio questioned.

“There are security cameras in here, yes? Watch one of them and figure it out, I’m eating right now,” Padmé snapped, growing annoyed with the droid.

* * *

She stared at the dejarik board and huffed, wishing she had Artoo to play against. She should have thought  _ that _ request through. “Force damn it!”

“Is everything alright, my lady?” Threepio asked as he heard her cursing. “Aren’t you enjoying the game either?”

“I can’t enjoy a game I can’t play, and I can’t play without an opponent,” she grumbled.

“Maybe you can ask Master Vader?” Threepio suggested. “Dinner last week might have already been forgotten and he could be willing to join.”

“By all means, ask him, but I expect nothing of it,” she said sarcastically.

“Glady, my lady,” he said cheerfully and turned his back on her, sauntering away towards his Master’s wing. Padmé rearranged the holoboard again and toyed briefly with the idea of playing against herself. It seemed like a sign of madness, but at this point, she was probably going to go mad at some point anyway. Why not embrace it?

Moments later, the heavy footsteps and mechanical breathing outside her chambers’ door gave away her visitor as he looked around the room before settling on the holoboard. “I heard you were searching for a partner?”

“I didn’t think you’d actually take me up on it.”

“Because I am incompetent?” He challenged.

“Because you do not seem interested in me other than as a toy that amuses you,” she corrected, pulling at the dual lavender straps on her shoulders uncomfortably.

“Do you always have to offend me when we meet?” Vader questioned.

“I am sorry that what I perceive as the truth offends you so much,” she replied serenely. “Perhaps if you told me more about yourself, I might know how to conduct myself more diplomatically.”

“Your truth is offensive,” he stated boldly.

“Then set the record straight. Why am I here? What do you want from me?”

“I don’t need to. I’m not the one offending you,” he replied.

“Oh, but you are!”

“You’re impossible to talk to,” he said, taking a step back in aggravation. “I should return to my wing before my actions are perceived as a technique of  _ seduction  _ once more.”

“Why is it so hard for you to tell me what you want?”

“What if I don’t want anything?”

“Then you wouldn’t have spared me. Something made you decide to go against Palpatine, what was it?”

“Perhaps I don’t always obey his ruling,” he shrugged. “Perhaps I am keeping you here because I am powerful enough to block your Force signature from Palpatine’s senses until he forgets you exist and you can hide on a planet he doesn’t even think about. Tatooine could be a good choice. I heard it’s forgettable.”

“ _ Why _ ?” she prodded. “Surely it wouldn’t be good for you if he found out what you were doing?”

“I could always lie and tell him I wanted you to take us to the Rebel bases,” he said coldly. “That I saw a way to use you,” he crossed his arms. “Like we used others.”

“Others you killed after you were done with them?”

“Maybe. Maybe not.”

“Vader.”

“You wanted the truth. Demanded it, actually. It is not my problem if you do not enjoy it.” He sighed. “You still want to play or should I leave?”

“It doesn’t feel complete,” she muttered, looking away. “I can tell you’re still hiding something.”

“There are details of my function you wouldn’t like to know. The number of people I have killed, for example. Maybe not knowing the whole story is a blessing, Lady Amidala,” he said impatiently. “Again, you did not answer my question and I am losing time.”

“Time doing what?”

“I could have victims hanging by their feet in whatever slaughter room you think I have,” he retorted. “I should be torturing them for information, and instead I’m here with you  _ not  _ answering the Force damn question.”

“Fine, yes, I would like you to play dejarik with me.”

With a flourish, he sat down opposite to her. “Was that so difficult?” He asked dryly.

“Stop gloating and make the first move.”

He took a long time, his head resting on his hand and he looked completely still, as if he were a statue. “I don’t know how to play.” He admitted flatly.

“Do you want me to teach you?”

“If you want someone to play the game with, you will have to.”

“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather go back to your torture victims?” she asked teasingly.

“They’re not going anywhere,” he replied half-amused.

“Aren’t you just charming,” she sighed, shaking her head. It could have been nothing, maybe the lava outside or Threepio walking up and down the hall, but she could swear she heard something like a chuckle escaping his mechanical breathing.


	4. I'm Hopeless Now

“We have to do  _ something _ !”

“I’m open to whatever reasonable suggestions you have,” Qui-Gon Jinn answered calmly as he looked Bail Organa in the eye. “It is disappointing that Senator Amidala seemed to have the most common sense out of all of you.”

“We can’t march into Imperial Center,” Obi-Wan said more diplomatically. “We need a strategy and for that, we need resources that we are severely lacking after most of our allies were dragged to the rivers of lava on Mustafar. Including Senator Amidala.”

“Do you really think we would have let her say all that if we’d know she planned it?” Mon Mothma hissed. “You’re wasting time and the sacrifice she made, foolish as it was!”

“Time is essential and our enemy is a master at it,” Qui-Gon pointed out. “Palpatine spent  _ decades  _ building his play and you want to  _ rush  _ a master plan to take him down. It will simply end in misery for us. It will take us  _ everything  _ and  _ more  _ to be able to defeat him. Our people are scared of marching into battle.”

“They know we would lose,” Obi-Wan pointed out.

“We will wait until the time is right,” Qui-Gon added. “For now, we gather our allies, keep our heads low and try not to be food for the monster in Mustafar’s fortress.”

“I did not know you believe in fairytales, Qui-Gon,” another voice joined the discussion. “Are you done arguing?” She asked. “Troops can hear you. Sith hell, I think  _ Palpatine  _ can hear you! Were you even taught to keep your voices low?”

“I believe in your son, do I not, Shmi Skywalker?” Qui-Gon retorted glibly. “That is why you came to us in the first place.”

“It’s very different comparing  _ something  _ no one ever saw or can prove its existence to a child I carried and for nine years raised,” Shmi scowled. “Besides looking for my son, I do want that man out of power and while both of you make excellent points,” she glanced between the Jedi and the politicians in the room. “We need to do something about his rule and we also need to have patience. If you could stop arguing and put your heads together to find a solution, it would probably be more efficient.”

“Padmé would have some idea,” Bail muttered morosely. “I still cannot believe she did something so suicidally stupid when she knew how much we all depended on her.”

“Yes, I am sure Senator Amidala was very selfish,” Shmi state dryly. “Poor you, Viceroy Organa. Not poor Senator Amidala, who is most likely dead. But poor you,” she retorted bitterly. “At least she decided to stand up to him, when no one else did.”

“However we might perceive her actions,” Obi-Wan sighed, “the reality is still that she did it, and now we must deal with the Empire on our own.”

“You are one great woman down and I can’t contest that,” Shmi said. “But the Rebellion is much larger and instead of losing our heads, we should honor her memory and do things the right way.”

“And what  _ is _ the right way?” Mothma asked icily. “If you’re so wise in the ways of warfare?”

“Stop bickering like children,” Qui-Gon groaned.

“That is what  _ you  _ are here for,” Shmi narrowed her eyes at Mothma. “Figure it out.”

“Mon,” Bail took his former colleague by the arm, leading her out of the bridge and leaving Shmi with the two Jedi.

“With all due respect, Master, depending on the legend of the Chosen One is hardly the best plan we could have. We don’t even know if he’s still alive.”

“He is,” Shmi said hotly. “I would have known if my son was dead. I would have felt it, Obi-Wan.”

Obi-Wan sighed, shaking his head. “And you truly think that in thirteen years, he has never tried to find you? I am not saying this to be hurtful, I am trying to be  _ practical. _ ”

“I thought Jedi were a symbol of hope,” Shmi stated. “I don’t know why he hasn’t looked for me. I also don’t know what has been done to him. But I will find out. I will have answers. I know I will find Anakin.”

“Obi-Wan,” Qui-Gon started. “The Chosen One is not a legend. I believe that he is the answer to defeating Palpatine. Hope, Obi-Wan. We need to hope.”

“I agree that hope is a powerful thing, Master, but it seems risky to put  _ all _ of it with one boy.”

“A boy that has had time to become a man,” Shmi said wistfully, thinking about the blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy who had been ripped from her arms so many years ago. “All I want is to find him.”

“Who do we have to find?” Someone questioned.

“Ashoka, haven’t we told you is rude to eavesdrop on people’s conversations?” Qui-Gon asked with a sigh.

The young togruta shrugged. “Wasn’t eavesdropping. You were all yelling.”

“I refuse to stop believing that my son is alive,” Shmi said, glaring at Obi-Wan.

“You’re a good mother,” Ahsoka said. “But maybe you need a plan, Mrs. Skywalker. I mean, how are you going to find your son if you don’t even know where to start? You’ve been looking for over a decade.”

“Where would I start?” Shmi asked, hopelessly. “I was a slave and when Ani got taken, no one cared. It was years before I was free and by then, clues of his kidnapping were gone.”

“What if we return to Tatooine?” Qui-Gon suggested.

“You can’t be serious,” Obi-Wan said incredulously. “In the middle of this war?”

“It’s not as if there’s any fighting on that dustball,” Ahsoka pointed out.

“We can speak with people at Mos Espa,” Shmi whispered. “Ask what they remember.”

“That is a waste of time,” Obi-Wan stated bewildered.

“For you,” Ahsoka said sharply. “I’m sorry, Master Kenobi, but this is a good enough place to start. Unless you have a better idea.”

“Of course he doesn’t,” Shmi said, glaring at the younger Jedi Knight. “His only contribution is pessimism that he calls practicality.”

“I think we should leave for Tatooine as soon as possible,” Qui-Gon said before Obi-Wan replied. “If you do not want to join us, Obi-Wan, it’s alright. You can stay with the politicians to try and arrange a plan that suits all of us.”

“Very well, Master.”

* * *

“Lady Amidala?”

“Lord Vader?” She looked up at him in surprise.

He seemed to hesitate. “I was wondering if you would join me for dinner this evening.” She stared at him, her face blank in surprise. After their last dinner, she’d thought they would never attempt such a thing again. “If you are hungry, that is. I heard the kitchen droids prepared an Iego angel cake for dessert.”

“I am hungry,” she admitted. “But if at all possible, I would prefer if you sat next to me, rather than at the far end of the table. Our seating arrangement last time felt too...voyeuristic.”

“Very well,” Vader conceded. “I wouldn’t mind.”

“Thank you,” she nodded slowly.

“I will wait for you at the dining hall, then,” he said, shuffling awkwardly. Padmé sighed and looked at herself briefly in the mirror before following after him.

“Or we could simply walk together, if you would take smaller strides?” He simply nodded at her and waited until she was at his side. Holding the red skirts of her dress to the side with her right hand, she placed her left on his elbow. Then she nervously looked up at him, silently asking if it was acceptable for him to do it.

Vader looked down at the hand on his elbow. The suit was more like armor and he was thankful for that, since it was unlikely that she felt him tense at her physical contact. He raised his head and looked forward. “I don’t remember,” he said, very suddenly, and she couldn’t decipher if the detachment came from the mechanical part of his breathing or from himself.

“Don’t remember what?” she asked, confused.

“Who I am,” he added. “It was your question last time, wasn’t it? Here’s my answer. I don’t remember.”

“How long have you been here?”

“I don’t know,” he confessed, his head lowering slightly. “I don’t remember,” he repeated.

“Surely there must be something…” she trailed off and shook her head. “I’m sorry, I know that I’m pressing you.”

“You can ask all you want, but the answer will remain the same,” he stated. “It’s your decision if you want to be frustrated for the entire dinner.”

“You may be the only person left in the world who I could feasibly call a friend,” she whispered. “I just want to know you.”

“Mustafar is all I can remember,” he said. “This armor is all I’ve ever known. There is no mystery to me, Lady Amidala. Just cold, hard facts.”

“But you are still a person.”

“Maybe,” he said quietly. “What if instead, you tell me about yourself?”

“You don’t already know everything? Palpatine didn’t keep extensive records of me?” her tone was light and playful.

“Not ones he gave to me,” he replied as he sat at her side as she requested. “I didn’t need to know you to kill you.”

“Fine,” she paused to let him open the door as they reached the dining room. “I am the youngest of two daughters, and my older sister has two little girls of her own. Her husband is an architect, and a former student of my father, who teaches the subject at the University of Theed.”

He pulled a chair out for her. “Yes. What about you, as a person? What has been your journey?”

“I began my legislative career when I was eight,” she answered as she took her seat. “I was elected Princess of Theed when I was thirteen, and I became Queen of Naboo a year later, when King Veruna abdicated.”

“You were a Queen at fourteen?” He asked in disbelief. “You were a child. At eight, shouldn’t you be playing with your friends?”

“On Naboo, we value the innocent wisdom of children,” she answered calmly, taking a bite of the roasted shaak in front of her. “They rely on the experience of their advisors, but we believe that the young are more inclined to make the altruistic decision that is best for all our people.”

“While I comprehend the concept of innocence, children are not supposed to have such weight on their shoulders at that age. You were fourteen then, when the Trade Federation launched their attack?” He asked. “How did your  _ innocence  _ prove to be an advantage?”

“I did exactly what I was supposed to do,” she snapped. “Are you saying that it’s  _ my _ fault Palpatine is evil and ruthless and willing to abuse the values I was taught to hold for his own personal gain?”

“It’s not your fault,” he said calmly. “But you were a child from whom people expected adult decisions from and independently of character, age and experience are important to consider. Palpatine was much older. Experienced. He knew what he was doing. You were innocent. You were using the values you were taught. But how has that helped you?” He explained. “If you were Queen  _ now,  _ with all of your experience and growth, would you have blindly trusted Palpatine?”

“That’s hardly a fair question.”

“That you are not answering because I am making a  _ valid  _ point. If you were experienced, if you were older and not a simple child, you wouldn’t have believed him.”

“Maybe I would have. The only reason I became a Senator was because my successor believed I could appeal to Palpatine’s better nature,” she admitted. “The entire reason I have lost my faith in politics is because of the abuse of my trust he committed. If that did not happen until the age I am now, I probably would have made the same mistake.”

“You politicians are very complex, aren’t you?” He sounded annoyed. 

“All people are.”

“Your kind does enjoy making up a lot of excuses, though.”

“You’re a person too, Vader. You should know we’re flawed.”

“I don’t know what you mean, Lady Amidala, I’m perfect,” he quipped.

“You’re rude, short-tempered, obfuscating, and aggressive.”

“Any other negative adjective you want to add?” He sounded amused. “You have your own distinctive flaws and I don’t go around shouting them at your face.”

“Why not? You have a captive audience,” she teased, taking a sip of her wine. “And I’m a big girl. I can handle it.”

“You’re annoyingly talkative, have some suicidal tendencies and are too persistent for your own good. Not to mention obstinate and a politician,” he scoffed.

“You sound like the Jedi who were sent to rescue me during the occupation,” she chuckled.

“Do keep insulting me, why don’t you?”

“That wasn’t meant as an insult.”

“You compared me to a Jedi. It was.”

“Jedi aren’t inherently bad.”

“Their Order failed, did it not?” He asked. “Also, Sith and Jedi are enemies by nature. We usually don’t appreciate being compared. Have you tried comparing a Jedi to a Sith?”

“You’re a Sith?” She dropped her glass and the crystal shattered on the table, wine staining her bodice.

“Yes,” he confirmed. “What else would I be? Has my red lightsaber not given it away? The thick darkness that clouds this fortress, built with the foundation of a Sith temple and over a cave where ancient Sith did their alchemy?”

“I don’t do extensive research on the Sith, most people consider them extinct,” she protested as See-Threepio arrived with a cloth to dab at the stains on her gown.

He tilted his head. “You are blissfully unaware, then, of the reality. Or do you believe I am the only Sith alive?”

“I’m sure you’re about to enlighten me.”

Vader paused as he studied her expression. A few long moments went by before he spoke again. “Emperor Palpatine is Darth Sidious. He has been a Sith longer than you’ve been alive.”

“He might be evil but there is no way a Sith could hide under the nose of the entire Jedi Order for that long without being noticed.”

“Now you understand why Jedi are useless. One of the things he is most proud of is being able to deceive Master Yoda for so many years. By following their horrible Code, the Jedi lost contact with what surrounded them.”

“So he keeps you here to make sure you never surpass him,” she guessed, raising an eyebrow.

“No,” he answered flatly. “I am his apprentice. No one can surpass him. He’s the most powerful Sith in the Galaxy and he’s the Emperor. No one stands a chance against him.”

“Hmmm.” She frowned, looking away from him.

“Your Rebel friends will be decimated.” He added.

“That’s your opinion.”

“That is my knowledge. The troops, the power, the influence he has cannot be matched.”

“I choose to have faith in my friends. And that goodness still exists in this galaxy. If you can spare my life, anything is possible.”

“You might consider me heartless, but you are naive.”

“Not as much as I once was.”

He didn’t reply, letting her finish dinner in her blissful ignorance. If she only knew what the Emperor had in store for the Galaxy…

“Have you been to Iego?” she asked as the serving droid exchanged her dinner plate for one with dessert.

“No.”

“I was just wondering if the cake had any kind of significance,” she said, taking a slow bite.

“Cake needs to have significance?”

“It doesn’t need to, but I thought there might be a reason you picked a dessert that has no relation to Naboo.”

“Perhaps you need to stop mumbling what you miss about being  _ free  _ to Threepio,” he said nonchalantly. “Apparently, it was one of your favorite desserts. Wasn’t it?”

“I enjoyed it with some of my friends and colleagues, but no, it wasn’t my favorite,” she corrected. “My favorite dessert is five blossom bread, actually.”

“You know, I just remembered another negative thing about you.”

“Oh, do tell.”

“You’re  _ impossible  _ to please.” He sounded aggravated. “I don’t know why I bother,” he muttered, standing up. “Are you finished?”

“Not quite.” She smiled. “But you’re wrong. I do like it. Thank you.”

“I think you can find your way back,” he muttered as he prepared to leave. “Goodnight.”


	5. I'm Still Breathing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unfortunately, before we get started, we have to tell you about this awful guy who's made an app called the Fanfic Pocket Archive Library. Basically, he made an app version of AO3 that runs ads and has a subscription service for those who don't have an AO3 account - he's literally getting paid to do what AO3 already does for free. DO NOT USE THIS APP.  
> Because of him, we've switched our stories so that only registered users on AO3 can use them, and we're debating a switch to Fanfiction.Net. We'll keep you posted on what we decide.  
> And now, back to your regularly scheduled Beauty and the Beast-inspired Vaderdala.

“Keep him sedated!”

Padmé froze slightly at the mechanical sound of a droid’s voice, pressing herself against the wall.  _ Sedated _ ?

“We need to do the suit’s maintenance.”

It was a suit. That explained quite a bit, but  _ why? _ Padmé drew closer to the sound of the voices, rounding the corner to a medical room where a sheet of black glass let her have the smallest glimpse inside. The round chamber was black on the outside and white on the inside, surrounded by multiple controls. Droids fussed around Vader that, for the first time ever, she was seeing without his helmet. He was asleep and his head was covered in rich gold curls that fell into his closed eyes. His skin was light and unscarred. 

She’d known he was human, but to see it so clearly was… unnerving.

“Seal him back in,” she heard one of the droids say. “We do not need the helmet off to proceed with the maintenance.”

From the top of the chamber, his helmet was lowered just as a crease between his brows was formed as his head moved slightly... as if he were waking up.

“Begin suppressant injections now. Before he regains consciousness.” A machine whirred and Vader’s body began to twitch and thrash. It looked like torture. Like it was against his will. If it wasn’t… why wouldn’t he be conscious?

She had to tell him, didn’t he? But if she told, he’d know she’d snuck into his wing without his permission. She didn’t know what she was meant to do. But Palpatine was clearly using him, and if that included limiting his powers? Perhaps Vader  _ was  _ more powerful than his master, that seemed like the most likely reason for suppressants.

The sound of footsteps made her stiffen. She could not get caught here. Gathering up her black skirts, she tried to move as quietly as possible. She had to get back to her room before Threepio came to fetch her for dinner.

“My lady!”

Of course, she hadn’t counted on him being the source of the footsteps.  _ Kriff. _

“What do you think you are doing, wandering around here?”

“Got a little lost,” she said, affecting a sweet tone. “I was looking for the kitchen. I felt hungry.”

“Dinner is not long, can’t you wait, my lady?” Threepio gently scolded. “Come now, I don’t want Master Vader to find you have been wandering the halls unsupervised.”

“It was an honest mistake, surely he can forgive that,” she protested. “It’ll never happen again.”

“I should hope not, my lady, while he has shown kindness to you, he’s not the most forgiving individual on the Galaxy,” Threepio said.

“I understand,” she nodded severely. “Please, lead me back, I have  _ no _ idea what I’m doing.”

“I am sure you will want to arrange yourself for dinner.”

“Oh, this isn’t appropriate?” She spun around for him to get a better look at her strapless black dress.

“It is really your decision, my lady, as long as you are not late for dinner.”

“I think I’m fine, I just need to freshen up a little. Lead the way, Threepio. I’d hate for Lord Vader to take his anger out on you.”

* * *

“You are unusually quiet this evening,” Vader noticed as he watched her eat in silence.

“What if Palp… Sidious,” she corrected herself, pushing aside her plate, “isn’t the most powerful being in the galaxy?”

“There is no question. He is the most powerful being.”

“It’s very convenient for him if you think that, isn’t it? Because then you’d never try to replace him.”

“I wouldn’t have a reason to,” Vader stated. “He is my Master. He is powerful and I know how much. I wouldn’t go against it. I couldn’t.”

“So you’re back to doing whatever he wants you to do,” she retorted. “What if you’re stronger? What if he’s lied to you, the same way he lied to me?”

“That is my role,” he shifted uncomfortably. “I am aware of my capabilities. They are not as great as his are. It has always been like this. He has always been the Master.”

“He’s a liar by nature!” Padmé argued, standing and bracing herself on the table with her hands. “What makes you think you’re different?”

“Why must you insist on this subject? Are you trying to recruit me to be part of your Rebel cause?” He stood as well, towering over her. “To turn me against my Maker?”

“You’re not a droid, you’re a human! Unless he’s your father, there is no credible way to say he made you that doesn’t involve him using you in some way! You can’t remember anything except being his weapon, his pet monster. How do you not see the issue in that?”

“Why do  _ you _ ?” He asked in a threatening way. “Why don’t you accept that this is what I am and what I will always be?”

“Because I know that’s not true! There’s good in you, I know it, I’ve seen it!”

“You know  _ nothing  _ about me,” it was the most menacing his voice had gotten during her time in Mustafar and the air around them vibrated with power. “Don’t think you have seen kindness when I’ve done nothing but comply with a couple of insignificant requests. If you do not stop this manipulation, I will finish what I started the night I spared your life.”

“So the only person allowed to manipulate you is your  _ master,  _ is that it?”

“This dinner is over and you need to leave before I do something that will prove you wrong.”

“I know the truth,” she said defiantly. “I’m not afraid of you.”

It was as if the air around them stilled and no more oxygen was available. “You should,” he said before raising his arm, in a movement she had never seen him doing before. His fist was half clenched and he radiated anger. Padmé clawed desperately at her throat, tears in her eyes.  _ Please… _

A loud siren blared through the castle, followed by an aggressive masculine voice.  _ INCOMING SHUTTLE. INCOMING SHUTTLE. _

His hand relaxed and she dropped on the ground. He was seething as Threepio barged into the dining hall, to warn him, but paused at the scene in front of him. “There is a message from the Emperor, Master Vader,” he said, but he kept his eyes on the woman on the floor. Padmé let out a sob as she struggled to get her breath back. Storming out, Vader didn’t even bother to acknowledge either of them. “Lady Padmé, you should return to your chambers and I’ll have a medical droid sent to you for observation,” tentatively, the protocol droid extended a hand to help her up. Padmé shook her head, not moving from where she lay as the tears continued to streak down her face. “Please, my lady. Listen to me this once.”

After a moment that stretched into an eternity, she got to her feet without his help, rubbing at her neck as she stumbled towards her bedroom. Threepio sighed and followed after her.

“He would have killed me,” she whispered as the door opened, and she collapsed on her bed.

“Yes, my lady, I think he would,” Threepio said regretfully. “I will call a medical droid. Do you need anything from me, my lady?”

“No. Just leave me alone,” she whispered into a pillow.

“I am sorry, my lady.”

“I said go away!”

Threepio was shocked for a moment but left the room, closing the door behind him. He had hoped the relationship between his Master and the lady Padmé would have come to a different ending.

* * *

As he finished his  _ mission _ , Vader felt restless and he knew the reason why. As he made his way down the corridor to her chambers, he ignored Threepio’s pleas to postpone his visit to another day and while he understood his droid’s worry, Vader wanted, for the first time that he could remember, to apologize.

“She was quite unhappy, Master Vader,” Threepio informed him. “I might suggest waiting until the morning.”

“No. I need to speak to her now.”

“Master…” The droid shook his head. “I do warn you—”

Vader ignored him as he entered Padmé’s room without knocking. “Threepio, I told you, I don’t want anything!” Padmé shouted from beneath her covers. “Go away!”

“Padmé—” Vader started. She raised her head up to stare at him in disbelief.

“So you do know my name.”

“I wanted to see how you were and if a medical droid has done a check-up on you—”

“After you tried to kill me, you mean?” she accused sullenly. “And while you were killing someone else on your master’s orders?”

Vader hesitated. “You then realize you were wrong, don’t you?”

“NO!” She threw back the covers and stormed straight at him, grabbing one of the holonovel consoles on her bedside table in the process. “I was not wrong! You were! You tried to kill me!  _ That _ is inherently worse than anything I could do, you selfish, blind, arrogant… nerfherder!” On the last word, she flung the console at the control panel on this chest, watching the two devices collide in a clash of sparks.

He stumbled back, looking down at the panel, unsure of what it would do to him, to the armor he wore. It kept him alive and the panel controlled his breathing mechanism.

“Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear,” Threepio rushed forward. “We need to get you to your hyperbaric chamber, Master Vader, quickly. Quickly!”

“NO!” Padmé moved in front of the door, blocking the exit. “It’s fake, it’s useless.”

“Lady Padmé, the suit is what keeps Master Vader alive and there will be consequences if you do not move.”

Meanwhile, Vader was still in shock, one of his gloved hands over the destroyed panel, waiting for shortness of breath to begin. To his head to feel light. To his body becoming numb. It was what happened whenever he was in the hyperbaric chamber without the breathing mechanism activated.

“It’s a lie!” Padmé insisted. “The Emperor uses it to control you! I heard those droids talking about giving you suppressants today!”

“You need to get out of my way,” Vader spoke, his voice muffled and different without the mechanical breathing. 

“Please, lady Padmé, it has been a terrible night. Let’s not make it worse,” Threepio asked.

“Step aside, Lady Amidala,” Vader hissed.

“ _ Make me _ .”

“Do you ever learn?” Threepio asked in exasperation.

“Please,” Vader said for the first time. “Step aside.” The use of pleasantry was enough to make her step back just enough that Threepio could help his master stand and leave the room. 

* * *

Padmé hovered hesitantly at the door to Vader’s wing, waiting for him to emerge. It had been three weeks since their altercation in her bedroom, and she knew she had to be the bigger person, but it was nerve-wracking to be standing like this, unsure of whether or not he’d come.

The doors slid open and he stood there, his suit without a scratch. “Threepio told me you wished to speak with me?”

“I wanted to apologize for my outburst,” she said. “And to ask if you would join me for supper tonight.”

“I did hurt you, so it was justified,” he nodded. “Are you sure? Last time, it didn’t go so well.”

“Please,” she implored softly. “It’ll be short. You can ask me anything you want.”

“Very well, I’ll join you,” he nodded and stepped out, the doors closing behind him. “Lead the way, Lady Amidala,” he requested, keeping a safe distance between them.

“You know the way as well as I do,” she pointed out jokingly, moving to his side. If she’d known for certain he’d accept, she might not have chosen a dress that showed off as much of her back as the violet one she was currently wearing did. “I’m glad to know I didn’t kill you.”

“You heavily damaged the breathing mechanism. I could have died if you hadn’t moved,” he said dryly. “The droids that take care of my wellbeing were very angry. I wouldn’t cross their path if I were you.”

“But…” she sighed, shaking her head. “I don’t understand. You know full well that Palpatine...Sidious has lied to other people he’s mentored, I don't know why you think you’d be different.” She stopped. “Never mind.”

“Because I do not go against him and you were a wild card, Lady Amidala,” Vader explained for her. “I am sorry to say that my armor is essential for my existence. I grow weak without it until I inevitably die. My human body is not able to survive on its own.”

“Why do you need it? Can you even remember?”

“Like I said, I do not remember. My human body was weak and my Master has made it possible for me to live by being in this armor.”

“Or he keeps you weak so that you never try to go against him.”

He stopped. “This conversation led to a very bad outcome last time. Are you sure you want to dive into it again?” Vader scolded her.

“Nothing happened to you when I destroyed the panel,” she muttered. “You were fine.”

“I am talking about how I nearly choked you. Or have you forgotten it?”

“I’m trying to.”

He resumed his pace. “Don’t push your luck again.”

“Vader. ”

Again, he halted his steps. “Yes?”

“What does Palpatine do when you disagree with him on something?”

“I tend not to disagree with my Master, Lady Amidala. It is not my place.”

“Do you just not have opinions at all then?”

Vader sighed. “What do you think I should have opinions about?” He questioned. “My place in this Galaxy is here. Mustafar. My Master is the Emperor. I do his bidding because I am the apprentice. There is nothing for me to have an opinion about.”

“So you may as well be a droid.”

“There is nothing else for me.”

“You don’t really know that.”

“Oh? Care to enlighten me?” He challenged.

“There is an entire galaxy out there. Doctors who could help you. Worlds you could explore. People you could meet. And he keeps you trapped here, like some kind of monster, when I know that’s not the truth.”

“I held you up in the air, choking the life out of you and you still don’t believe me a monster?” He asked her incredulously.

“Not inherently. I think you’ve been tricked into thinking that’s what you are.”

“Maybe keeping you here was a mistake,” he shook his head, taking a couple of steps back. “You are finally losing your mind.”

“You can access the Holonet here, can’t you?” She stopped walking and reached out, touching his arm. “Use it. Find out about the worlds beyond this fortress. There are plenty of terrible things in this galaxy, but there are beautiful things too. Things he’s kept from you. Things you’re just as entitled to as anyone else.”

Vader hesitated. “I don’t think I will be keeping you company at dinner. Have a nice evening, Lady Amidala,” he moved around her to return to his wing. Her hope and her willingness to see something in him clawing at his insides.

She watched him go, the faintest hint of a smile on her lips. “You might start with my homeworld,” she called after him. “Naboo. It’s where your Master comes from too, but don’t hold that against us.”

For a brief moment, he stopped, before restarting his walk and disappearing into his wing. He went directly to a control table in the surrounding area of his chamber. He sat and looked at the controls.  _ Naboo. Start with Naboo. _


	6. Come a Little Closer

“My lady, this is highly uncomfortable,” Threepio said worriedly as the oldest medical droid that tended to Vader sat, turned off, in Padmé’s chambers. “And illegal. If Master Vader discovers what you had me do… oh, he’ll turn me into scrap!”

“I’m just downloading a little reading material,” she said, scrolling through the diagnostics records on the display built into the back of the droid’s head, normally concealed under its plating. “Pass me that cable, I need to overwrite this onto one of those awful holobooks he gave me.”

Threepio did as he was told. “This is the most terrible thing I’ve ever done.”

“Then you’ve done very few horrible things.” Padmé started the data transfer, then paused, considering the droid. “I wonder… Threepio, can I program a command into his matrix while he’s off? Or would I have to turn him on?”

“No, you can program all the commands you want,” he paused. “Just don’t program one to kill Master Vader, my lady, I will not be an accessory to murder for my own Maker.”

“No, no, I just want to get an accurate assessment of his midi-chlorian count.”

“I can tell you that myself,” Threepio stated. “As said by the Emperor, Master Vader’s count ranks around the nine thousand to ten thousand midi-chlorians.”

“I want the medical droid’s input. I don’t trust Palpatine.” Padmé left the transfer screen to open the commands matrix and entered the relevant coding.

“My lady, what is the purpose of this? We are slicing confidential information about Master Vader. It is illegal and an invasion of privacy. If we are found out… oh dear, I fear such a day,” Threepio fussed. 

“Which is why he won’t find out,” she said pointedly. “We’re  _ helping _ , Threepio.”

“Are you nearly done with  _ helping, _ my lady? The medical droid needs to return to his post before he is missed by Master Vader.”

“Check the data transfer, tell me if it’s done.”

“It’s at ninety percent,” Threepio replied. “What other commands will you input into the droid’s matrix?”

“Just a few things to make sure the last bits of relevant information will be sent to me once it’s available… and done.” She closed the command center and disconnected the holobook with the completed transfer. “You can take him back now.”

Threepio rewired the droid and it powered up. “Come on, you, Master Vader needs you,” he stated to the droid and led him out of the room. Padmé moved to the bed with her new reading material, already engrossed in the information scrolling before her eyes.

_ Born: 7:4 BrS. _

That would mean he was twenty-two now, twenty-three at the oldest. “He’s so young,” she whispered to herself. “Younger than me.”

_ Height: 1.88 meters _

_ Mass: 84 kilograms _

_ Armor issued 6:3–7:2 ArS, 3 years after arrival. _

That caught her attention. Doing the math, he ‘arrived’ when he was either nine or ten, around the same time Palpatine had come to power, and the suit had become ‘necessary’ when he was about twelve or thirteen. He’d been in it for ten years. “But  _ why _ ?”

She switched to the section on the armor itself. 

_ Serial Number: E-3778Q-1 _

_ Helmet components: Vocal moderator. Respiratory monitor. Filtered lenses. _

“Hmmmmm.” she bit her lip thoughtfully.

“My lady,” Threepio entered suddenly. “I have some news from Master Vader. He won’t be able to join you for dinner tonight.”

“Is he alright?”

“I’m afraid he is resting, my lady, the past few nights have been troubling,” Threepio informed her. 

“Well, please send him my sympathies and best wishes. I hope he recovers soon. I’ll eat here, if we’re not going to be dining together.”

“Certainly, my lady,” Threepio nodded before hesitating. “Do you have all the information you required?”

“I’m still working on it. But it’s  _ very _ interesting, to say the least.” She stopped for a moment. “Threepio, do you know when you were made?”

“Yes. Ten years ago, my lady, why?”

“So, you don’t remember Vader ever being without the suit. Interesting. Or maybe your memory was wiped when he received it.”

“Master Vader has been in the suit since my first memories,” Threepio confirmed. “He built me shortly after he needed the suit to survive.”

“I suppose Sidious wouldn’t leave such things to chance, you  _ are _ a blabbermouth.”

“I beg your pardon?” He asked, offended.

“You talk quite a lot, Threepio.”

“I will reiterate your good wishes to Master Vader and forget you have insulted me, my lady,” Threepio shuffled out of the room. “Blabbermouth, what an insult…” she heard him mutter as he entered the corridor. Padmé giggled at his retreating back, then returned her attention to reading.

* * *

Vader stood from his seat as Padmé entered the dining hall. “Lady Amidala, please let me apologize for my indisposition over the past couple of days,” he pulled her chair for her. “I hope I can make it up to you?”

“The method I have might not be to your liking.”

“It never is,” he said amused before taking his seat again. “Find yourself entertainment, lately? Threepio was tasked with delivering new holobooks to you.”

“Oh, I had plenty to read. In fact, there’s some I think you’d be fascinated by.” She slid the holobook she’d cannibalized for her stolen data across the table to him.

“Perhaps later,” he pushed the holobook aside. “I would like to give you a gift myself. It’s not much in the ways of entertainment, more of a token of my appreciation.”

“Well…” she blinked slowly. “Thank you.”

He raised his hand and from a leather cord, there was a japor snippet, hand-carved. “This is the only thing I remember having. I don’t know where it came from. I  _ think  _ I did it myself, but I’m not sure. It’s simple and probably worthless.” Vader paused. “I would like it if you would accept it.”

“It’s beautiful,” she said, taking it and pulling it over her head. “And I will cherish it. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he leaned back. “At least you didn’t throw these at my head.”

“Because I think this means something more than just being a shiny bauble to placate me,” she said with a smile as she pulled her hair out from beneath the cord. “Vader… the reading I was doing. You  _ really _ should look at it.”

He glanced at the holobook. “I’m not fond of holobooks. You can tell me the story, if you want. If it has you so committed, it might be interesting to hear.”

“I suppose it’s a little dry,” she sighed, “but the gist of it is that thirteen years ago, a nine-year-old boy was taken from his home. When he was twelve, he was placed inside a prison meant to keep him weak and tortured at the whim of the man who took him.”

“It sounds…” Vader paused and shifted his position, there was something about the way she looked at him, that made him uncomfortable, “cruel.”

“It is. To do that to a child, to lie to them, to hurt them like that, it’s abhorrent,” she agreed.

“What else?” He questioned, gloved fingers hovering over the holobook.

“There was a detail that stuck with me… the boy had powers, you see, but they were nearly three times as strong as his captor told him they were.” His fingers stilled, waiting for her to continue. “He was kept in that prison for ten years, trapped by lies and pain.”

“It sounds like a story without a happy ending.”

“It’s not finished yet,” she answered bluntly. “It’s yours.”

There was a loud shattering sound and the holobook beneath his fingers was in pieces. He stood silent, brooding. “How do you know that what you are saying is true if I don’t know it myself?”

“Because I took it from your medical droids,” she admitted. “I sliced into one and copied your records. I suspected Palpatine was lying to you, and I wanted proof.” He looked down at himself, at his arms and every inch of his body that was covered in black. “That suit is used to put a suppressant serum based on the blood of the ysalamir into your body so that your powers are limited, and to inflict pain on you so that you stay in fear of him. You  _ don’t _ need it, you never have.”

“But I have worn it for ten years,” he said, in a desperate attempt to find a plausible explanation. “I live in a hyperbaric chamber. I don’t eat, I am fed through a tube…  _ no!  _ You’re lying. You have to be lying.”

“Vader.” She stood, moving towards him as she clutched the japor snippet in one hand. “Please. Even with your powers suppressed, you should be able to sense that I’m telling you the truth. Even the hyperbaric chamber is part of it, it’s used to keep you susceptible to Sidious’ control.”

“My midi-chlorian count… I have always been told it was in the ten thousands value. Normal. Almost pathetic,” he shook his head. “If I were stronger, I would know. I would resist mind tricks and I would realize the lie I wear every day.”

“For this moment, trust me.” Standing over him, she reached out and removed the visor of his helmet, placing it next to the broken pieces of the holobook.

“What are you doing?” He tensed up.

“I said trust me.” Her fingers hooked on the ridge at the back of his helmet, pulling it up and away from his head. “You don’t need the armor. You never did.”

Somehow, the sight of his face rendered her breathless. He was beautiful, there was no other word for it. His skin was pale, undoubtedly from lack of sunlight for ten years, but it was smooth. His hair was a nest of soft blonde curls, framing his angular cheekbones and nose, and his eyes… his eyes were the most beautiful crystalline blue she’d ever seen, like the view of the lake on a sunny day at Varykino. “I don’t know who you were before he created Vader,” she whispered, her thumb brushing against his cheek. “But I know there is more to you. And I want to help you see what I see.” And with that, she leaned in and pressed her lips to his, not caring that the bottom of the helmet scraped against her chin as she did so.

* * *

_ In the end, maybe this is why I saved her. _

He had never felt human contact before and her touch made him shiver. The brush of her lips over his, made him feel an adrenaline rush and more alive than ever before. He thought to himself if this was the reason he had spared her, after all, so she could spare him. Unconsciously, he knew she had come to save him.

Two months ago, he lived in a routine imposed on him by his Master and he didn’t question it. If a shuttle arrived with a prisoner, they were to be immediately executed. Without mercy. Without a second thought. When he wasn’t killing his Master’s enemies, he was training or resting in the hyperbaric chamber, custom made for him.

Until she arrived in a pristine white dress, that made a startling contrast to the black and red background of Mustafar. Long curls falling over her shoulders, defiant attitude and fearless. Her beautiful brown eyes captivating him from the first time she looked at him. 

He held back for the first time he could remember. She had made his heart skip a beat. Perhaps she made him realize he did have a heart after all. It could have been the Force, whispering to his subconscious, telling him to protect her. Save her.

In his own twisted way, he did it. He hid her in the guest wing of the fortress, cloaked her Force signature and reported to his Master another success. Senator Amidala was no longer a problem. Not for the Emperor. It was now in Vader’s hand and in several panicked moments, he asked himself what he was doing with a woman. The first human, besides his Master, he had met and had a conversation with. His victims never had a chance to talk when they were thrown at his feet, shaking in fear. 

Padmé Amidala was on a whole other level, not bending to his will, or flinching in fear of his wrath. She awakened inside of him something and it kept pushing and digging until he was a mess, until he couldn’t sleep without dreaming of her, until he started to question his existence, his purpose, and his past.

“I believe you,” he whispered as she pulled back, his voice sounding strange in his ears, now that it was not masked by the mechanical breathing of his suit. Padmé smiled, beautifully, brilliantly, as she pushed back his hair. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Her fingers fumbled with the collar, trying to find the clasps that held it in place.

He looked at her, amused with her struggle and for the first time, she saw him smile. “It’s in the back, if you can reach it,” he teased.

“I can reach it,” she laughed, smiling back at him as she found the latch and popped it open, tossing on the floor. “How do you feel?”

“Good,” he admitted, biting down on his lip as he breathed without the helmet for the first time. His smile widened as he realized she was right all along. He didn’t need the suit to survive. Everything was different. He was no longer seeing her through the visor of his helmet. He no longer heard the irritating mechanical breathing. He could smell her perfume that deliciously clung to him. “Very good,” he nodded, hands at her waist. “You just saved my life, Lady Amidala.”

“Padmé.”

“Padmé,” he repeated, the name rolling off his tongue with a sort of reverence. “I wish I could tell you my name. You didn’t happen to find that out when you sliced my droids, did you?”

“It wasn’t there,” she admitted, shaking her head. “But we can figure it out together now, can’t we? You made Threepio, surely you can figure out some way to eliminate everything about that suit that he uses to control you.”

“True. But I need to be smart about it. I don’t want him to understand his lie has been uncovered,” he frowned. “Not until I know a way to defend you and myself from him. If he has been suppressing my powers for the past decade, I don’t know how long it will take for me to have it under control,” he explained. “How long it will take to recover what he took from me.”

“I will be here,” she promised, pressing her lips to his forehead. “I’ll help you. We’re in this together now.”

“I want to do one thing,” he said. “Well two, actually.”

“Oh? What are they?”

Instead of replying, he cradled her face between his gloved hands and leaned up to kiss her again, the feeling of her lips against his filling him with hope. “The second thing,” he started as he broke the kiss. “I want to be out of the rest of this thing as soon as possible,” he whispered. “Help me?”

“Of course.” The smile she gave him in return was almost wicked. “After all, there are a few things I want to do once you’re out of it.” 

He blinked at her and what she was stating, a soft, pink blush tainting his cheeks, reaching up to his ears. “You do have a lot of free time, wasting away in that bedroom,” he nodded thoughtfully.

“Misery does love company. And I would  _ love _ to teach you about all the things you can’t learn on the holonet.”

“I guess I am at your mercy,” he said, a sigh escaping his lips, mockingly admitting defeat.

“I think you’ll find me to be a fair and just Queen.”

For the first time, she heard him laugh. “Just shut up and kiss me. You can do the rest later.”

“As you wish.” She placed her hands on his neck and leaned in once again.


	7. Keeping You Safe

“Okay, let’s try it again.” Padmé laughed, taking a few steps back. “Are you ready?”

“You are enjoying this far too much,” he shook his head with a laugh. “Ok, I’m ready.”

“Greet the partner, one, two, three,” she counted off, sinking into a curtsy and he bowed to her, “And then you put your right hand on my waist, and you guide me. Slowly now, just find your rhythm.” She started to hum a melody, leaning into him.

He did as he was told, one hand on her waist, another behind his back as they began to sway to the melody she hummed. “I’m starting to think I am unable to dance properly.”

“You’re learning,” she reassured him with a smile. “It takes time.”

“I certainly have a lot to catch up with,” he nodded in agreement. “But I have an amazing teacher.” 

She blushed pink, then remembered that they were still swaying. “And now we switch. I spin, and you catch me with your left hand.”

“Right,” he confirmed with a look of pure concentration.

“And relax a little,” she reminded him, brushing her lips against his throat as she spun past him. “Know that I trust you.”

He groaned a little before catching her just like she had told him. “That was unfair, you know what you do to me,” he pouted. “You can’t be that distracting.”

“But you know that you like it.”

“More than I enjoy dancing or any activity you’ve tried to teach me in the past couple of weeks,” he teased.

“Oh, yes, I remember the baking incident.”

“I realize it will never be something I’m good at,” Vader chuckled. “Do we have a lot of things left on your list?”

“Not unless you add some very strange requests to the next supply shuttle,” she sighed. “And we can’t risk alerting Sidious to the truth. He’d separate us. Or worse.”

Vader tensed, holding her more tightly against him. “We can request supplies without the Empire knowing about it, Threepio could do it,” he said, choosing not to think about what his Master would do to the both of them if he knew the truth.

“You think so?” She leaned in to kiss him properly.

He sighed into the kiss, relaxing and leaning to join his forehead to hers. “I know,” he whispered, nuzzling her cheek. “Give him a list of what you want.”

“It might be a long list,” she warned.

“You’ll have everything you want,” he smiled warmly at her.

“Mhmm,” she smiled and stepped back. “I think we might want to stop dancing for today and do some more work on the suit, anyway?”

“Can’t I just kiss you for the rest of the day?” He sighed, dropping his shoulders. “That is my favorite thing to do. The suit and I have spent way too much time together already.”

“We need to finish dismantling it,” she pointed out, pushing back his hair. “Otherwise he might force you into another one of those calls and try to hurt you with it. I don’t want that.”

“Instead of dismantling it, I should modify it. If he does another call and realizes that I’ve found out the truth, he won’t waste any time in storming the fortress and kill us both,” he explained with a pained expression. “No, I’m wrong. He won’t kill me but he will force me to watch your death and if I have to wear the suit for a few hours when he calls, I’ll do it just so you are safe.”

“Thank you.” She leaned in to kiss him, her tongue slipping into his mouth easily. He groaned into her mouth, kissing her back with the raw desperation that she woke inside of him.

“For you? Everything.”

“Then I think we can manage kissing for the rest of the day.”

He beamed at her, blue eyes sparkling. “My favorite words.”

* * *

The suit was heavy and suffocating, but he had a good reason to be inside of it. Sidious had requested for them to discuss the future of the Empire and what role was Vader going to play in his plans. Fortunately, for Vader, the helmet covered his facial expression. All he wanted was to speak up and tell Sidious where he could shove his plans because he was done being a pawn in his schemes. Since Padmé had helped him out of the suit, he had grown stronger every day. He felt more in tune with the Force, he felt everything with much more intensity, he grew more powerful and his anger for the man that had held in captive in the suit, increased.

He would keep the charade, for Padmé’s sake. He wasn’t ready to equal Sidious in a battle. Not yet and while he wasn’t sure he could protect her, he would be the dutiful apprentice. 

“You are quiet, my Apprentice.”

“I was thinking about your plans, Master. They are truly magnificent.”

“Despite the limitations the Jedi inflicted upon you, I think you are ready to take your vengeance now. The next shipment to your fortress will come in two vessels, one of which will remain on Mustafar for your personal use. It includes a simulator that will train you for space travel and combat,” Sidious informed him. “And perhaps, with time, you will even be able to take command of the Death Star itself. Provided you do well.”

_ That… could be extremely useful.  _ “I do not know how to thank you, Master, for allowing me vengeance and for providing me with such powerful tools.”

“Dooku and Maul both failed me after I showed them generosity. Do not be the third Apprentice to do so,” his Master warned. “You are the only heir I have, and I will not see this empire fall to weakness. After all the work I did to bring us to our glory.”

“Nor will I allow it, Master. When can I expect to be summoned?” He needed to know how long he had to prepare himself and Padmé before Sidious moved forward with his plans.

“Soon. I am still arranging the time and place of the rebels’ downfall. I want to make certain we eradicate them in one fell swoop. Do not neglect your training.”

“I will be training until you summon me, Master, but that might make me unavailable. Will you allow it, in favor of me gaining the necessary strength to eradicate the Jedi?”

“You come when I call,” the old man hissed. “I do not care what excuse you may have. You serve me. You  _ belong _ to the Dark Side. When your orders change, you comply. It is a very simple lesson I thought I had taught you long ago, Vader. Does it need to be taught again?”

Vader gritted his teeth and bowed his head lower in a sign of submission. “No, Master. I will comply with your orders once I receive them. My apologies for my question. I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful.”

“Your flattery does not interest me. Results do.” The transmission cut out without another word.

Vader stood, scowling and removed his helmet, running a hand through his curls. He was counting the days until he was no longer the Emperor’s pet. If he found out that it was viable to just run away and be happy with Padmé somewhere in the Galaxy, he would do it without a second thought. However, he knew Sidious would follow them and he doesn’t want to  _ start  _ living his life, looking over his shoulder.

“Master Vader,” Threepio waddled towards him. “I am so glad your call with His Majesty is over. Mistress Padmé told me to inform you that she is in the kitchens working on supper. I assured her that the kitchen droids could do it, but she insisted.”

“It’s alright, Threepio. Let me change and I’ll meet her there in a couple of minutes,” he said tensely, the nerve-wracking call still weighing him down. Besides the effort he did to be a good little lapdog, he had to train his mind to be blank during it. He couldn't risk Sidious glimpsing into some abnormality.

A few minutes later, he was out of the suit and into a dark set of robes, entering the kitchen and leaning against the doorway. “You know, last time we were here, the kitchen droids were very angry with what we left behind.”

“They’ll simply have to accept it. Or are we no longer the Master and Mistress of this place?” she teased, looking up at him with a smile as she continued to knead the dough in front of her.

He shook his head, coming up behind her to wrap his arms around her waist and kiss the side of her neck. “What are you doing, sweetheart?”

“Making five blossom bread for dessert tonight,” she answered with a smile, leaning into his embrace. “I wish I could be doing this with you at my family’s lake villa. That’s where my grandmother keeps her secret recipe. She promised to teach me one day…” she pulled her hands out of the dough to wipe a tear that had slipped down her cheek. “I wish you could see it. Meet my family...”

“One day, Padmé,” he sighed, tightening his embrace as a source of comfort. “Your death was necessary to protect you. Sidious wouldn’t hesitate to kill you. I don’t know when you will be with them again, but I promise you that you’ll return to Naboo,” he kissed her cheek, lips lingering on her skin.

“Will you come with me?”

“If you want me to.”

“Of course I do, I…” she trailed off. “I want to show you everything.”

“That’s a lot, you know I’ve grown up here, I haven’t seen anything else besides volcanoes and lava,” he tried to joke. “You’re sure you want to put up with me doing the most basic things?”

“I’m sure.”

He smiled and watched her continue working on the dough. “What if we leave Mustafar for a couple of days?” Vader wondered after a few moments of silence.

“We can do that?” she looked at him in surprise. “But what if the Emperor calls again?”

“He won’t. Not for a while. But if he does, we’ll take the suit and I’ll answer at the shuttle. However, he has other things to concern himself with than keeping me under watch. He gave me his orders now, so he’ll only make contact in another month, probably,” he shrugged. “I would suggest Naboo, but it’s far too risky. I’ve done my research and the closest planet I could find with the similarities to Naboo is Takodana. Besides, it’s a planet that flies under the radar and no one would look at us twice.”

“You really mean it?”

“I do. I don’t care if it’s a risk. I want to be with you somewhere that is  _ not  _ Mustafar,” he let go a small laugh. “You can pack and we can leave tomorrow.”

She spun in his arm to kiss him fully on the lips, her dough covered fingers twisting into his hair. He returned the kiss, arms holding her flush against him as he pressed her against the counter, his tongue slipping inside her mouth with ease. Her hips rubbed against his as she moaned into their embrace. Vader groaned as he dragged his lips from her lips to her neck, kissing and nipping at her soft skin, the only thing he could think of was that he wanted more of her. All of her. “Vader…”

Suddenly, his hands were on the counter and he pulled away, pecking her lips. “You need to finish your five blossom bread,” he said huskily, his blue eyes darkened.

“You…” She shook her head. “Force…”

He tilted his head innocently at her. “What?”

“You don’t know what you do to me.”

“Uh, well, I’m sorry?” He said, unsure of his actions, before pulling away completely, in order to let her complete their dessert. “I’m going to start arranging our trip.”

* * *

“Easy, watch your landing,” Padmé warned.

“I never left Mustafar, but I did gain my piloting skills within the system,” Vader huffed, irritated.

“This is new terrain,” she pointed out, gripping his shoulder with one hand. “It never hurts to be careful.”

“You should have more faith in me,” Vader pouted as he landed the ship without a lot of fuss. “There!” He exclaimed triumphantly. “We’ve arrived.”

“I have faith, but I still worry,” she argued, pouting back at him. “Will you accept my apology by way of a kiss?”

“Let me think,” he pretended to make a thoughtful face as he unbuckled his seatbelt and stood up. “One won’t cut it,” he finally said with a dramatic sigh.

“How many will it take? Two?” she guessed, rubbing his neck.”Three? Stop me when the number’s high enough.”

“Oh, it has to be definitely much higher than that,” he smiled, nuzzling her cheek and kissing the corner of her lips. “You look beautiful, by the way.”

“Thank you,” she beamed, placing a kiss on his neck. “Why don’t you tell me the number, and I’ll make sure you get it once we’ve secured a proper place to stay. Unless you’d rather we slept here on the ship?”

“I’ll decide the number in a moment. We should see if we can find somewhere to stay. The ship doesn’t sound comfortable and I’m excited to see something other than lava,” he gave her a quick peck and took her hand. “Ready?”

“With you? For anything.”

Vader beamed at her and they left the ship, not before activated the cloaking mechanism, to hide it from prying eyes. Then he focused on his surroundings. It smelled different from Mustafar. Mustafar was hot, it was burning lava and a smell of burnt metal and rock all around. This… this was nature. Tall trees that partially let the sun pass and he closed his eyes as he felt it, for the first time since he could remember, on his face. The air was moist, but rich and vibrant. The Force was strong. He was surrounded by living, breathing beings. Animals. Plants. It made him vibrate. He felt everything that much stronger.

“What do you think?” she asked with a smile, leaning against his shoulder. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

“It’s breathtaking,” he whispered. “It makes me not want to go back to Mustafar. Stay out here, hidden forever.”

“Let’s not think about that for now.” She laced her fingers into his and pulled him down the ramp, past a large statue of a female humanoid who seemed proportionately small, and towards a stone palace covered in vines. 

“Maz Kanata,” he said out loud. “She appeared in my research. She is known as the ‘pirate queen’.”

“Pirate queen, hmm?” Padmé laughed. “Should I be jealous?”

“You know you are the only queen that matters to me,” he rolled his eyes affectionately. “She’s Force-sensitive. I’ve felt it since I’ve entered the system.”

“Will we be in danger?”

“I don’t think so,” Vade replied quietly. “I’ve kept myself cloaked as to not call a lot of attention to me.”

“Alright,” she nodded. “I trust you.”

Vader kissed the top of her head. “Good. Now, raise your hood. We don’t want anyone to recognize you,” he said as he raised his own hood, even if he knew he was a stranger to anyone. If he had come out of the ship with the suit, it would be a different story. However, he was glad for his anonymity. “I need a name,” he suddenly realized. “You can’t go around calling me Vader when we are in public.”

“Set,” she said immediately as she pulled up the hood of her brown dress. “And you call me Veré. Alright?”

“From the fairytale?” He raised his eyebrows. “I’m on board,  _ Veré. _ ”

“It’s not a fairytale, it’s a legend,” she argued with a pout. “There’s a difference.”

He chuckled. “My apologies, your highness,” he teased as they walked hand in hand into the small town. He had never seen so many people together. He had spent his life with droids and a part of him was excited but other was on high alert for any danger or suspicious movement.

“Save it for when we’re alone,” she sighed, a smile playing on her lips. “There are mercenaries here. Presumably to keep Imperials off the ‘pirate queen’s’ scent. I’ve learned how to recognize the signs, places like these are hubs for illicit goods and illicit groups. We fit right in.”

“Yes, we do. But we need somewhere to stay and I don’t see anywhere that’s available,” he raised his eyebrows, looking around and sensing what she told him. Men on high alert, watchful. Dangerous. He felt the need to brush his fingers through the hilt of his lightsaber but restrained himself from doing so. He didn’t want to attract unwanted attention.

“Well, if there’s one thing I know, in a place like this, there’s a cantina,” she said dryly. “We might start there.”

“That might be our only way to find something,” he nodded. “If we don’t, we always have the ship, though I think there may be some abandoned houses around here that we can take over,” he smirked.

“Hmmm, sounds romantic.”

“It will still be better than Mustafar.”

“Anywhere’s better than Mustafar,” she pointed out, hiking up her skirts as they climbed up the steps of the castle. “But I don’t mind it as much as I used to.”

“I hope you don’t. I truly am not that scary outside the suit,” he said playfully.

“I was never scared of you, and you know it.”

Vader gave her a sideways glance. “I seem to remember trying to choke the life out of you,” he said dryly. “You weren’t scared then?”

“Shocked, hurt, disgusted, but not scared,” she insisted, tracing a finger along his chest. “I suspected there was good in you from the moment you spared me.”

“I adore you, but you’re a fool,” he rolled his eyes with a sigh. “Your belief in people is going to get you killed.”

“No, it won’t, because you’ll be there to save me.”

He blinked down at her, his blue eyes meeting her trusting brown ones and he wondered how could he have been so lucky to have her dropped at his feet, literally. “Always,” he whispered, before leaning down to kiss her properly. She giggled against his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“I would tell the two of you to get a room, but I own all the rooms,” a warm, elderly voice came from somewhere around their waists.

They broke the kiss and Vader stood protectively around Padmé as he looked down at the little orange female standing before them in well-worn leather garments. It was Maz Kanata. “Oh, we… uh… I’m sorry, were we making a scene?”

“It is hardly the worst scene that has been on my doorstep, my young friend,” the woman laughed. “Come in, come in, and we’ll see about getting you that room.”

He looked unsure for a moment and looked down at the woman in his arms. “What do you say?” He whispered.

“By all means,” Padmé nodded. “Thank you, Madam Kanata.”

Vader followed Padmé inside the castle, after Maz. There was something about the humanoid that provided him with a sense of safety but also put him on edge. “My dear young Jedi, there is no need to be so tense,” she scolded, looking back at him as she fiddled with the lenses of her odd goggles.

“I am  _ not  _ a Jedi,” he replied through gritted teeth, defensive and sounded slightly offended at the prospect. He cleared his throat and added more softly, “Madam Kanata.”

“Hmm.” She grabbed him by the belt and pulled him down, lifting his lightsaber off in the process. “Then are you a Sith?” she asked, her brown eyes staring straight into his blue ones as she turned the silver cylinder in her hands.

_ I should have picked another planet.  _ Vader tried to get his temper under control and be polite enough about his answer. “Do I look like one?”

Kanata looked between him and Padmé. “Just this once, I might waive the fee. You two are lucky I have a soft spot for young love,” she said with an odd little smile, passing the saber hilt back to him.

Vader straightened up, huffing a little. He adjusted his cloak to hide his lightsaber again. “Thank you, Madam Kanata. That’s very kind of you.”

“Don’t mention it. There’s just one thing first.”

Padmé swallowed nervously. “And what’s that?”

“Sit with an old woman and have a drink while she tells you a story,” she answered with a merry laugh.

“I think we can do that,” he nodded, squeezing Padmé’s hand.

“Good, good, follow me! I know just the one!”


	8. I Need You Now

“So,” Maz settled on one of the cushions surrounding the table as she poured three cups of tea from the kettle in the center. “Have either of you ever heard the prophecy of the Chosen One?”

“I heard it once,” Padmé said slowly, sipping from her cup. “A long time ago.”

“Never,” Vader stated as he cradled the cup between his hands.

“It’s a simple one, really.  _ A Chosen One shall come, born of no father, and through him will ultimate balance in the Force be restored, _ ” Maz intoned dramatically, before breaking off into laughter. “Naturally every Force-sensitive in the galaxy has opinions on such a thing.”

Vader frowned, sipping from his cup slowly. “I imagine. Born of no father? What is this? Fairytale land?” He rolled his eyes, sarcastically.

“The commonly held theory is that the child in question will be conceived by the Force itself when Darkness becomes too strong. At least among the Jedi who still believe in it.”

“What will this child do? Whack the Emperor over in the head and claim the throne?” Vader scoffed. “That’s not how it works and I sincerely doubt there is someone as powerful out there as that silly prophecy claims.”

“Well, there were Sith who believed if such a child could exist, he could be corrupted. Ultimate balance is a vague term,” Maz agreed.

He circled the rim of his mug with a finger. “What does ultimate balance even mean?” He frowned, looking down at the liquid. “There is good, or bad. The good ones don’t accept the bad actions and the bad ones see good actions as a reason for execution. Neither side accepts the balance. If such a child exists, I hope its mother has him or her hidden under a rock, otherwise, it’s doomed for the rest of its existence.”

“Set, calm down,” Padmé warned softly.

“I am calm,” he muttered. 

“Personally, I have always been of the opinion that ultimate balance meant there would be no more of  _ either _ Order, simply those who use the Force, but such a compromise seems unlikely,” Maz remarked, looking over at Padmé. “But what do you think, my dear?”

“I think you’re right that it’s a difficult term to pin down. And I don’t fully understand why you would tell us this story, out of any of them.”

“Yes,” Vader frowned. “Why us? Why this prophecy?”

“Do you not find it interesting, young man?” Maz accused.

“I find it a peculiar fairytale for the Jedi to believe in. Since most of their beliefs have been destroyed by the Sith, I am choosing not to be distracted by it,” Vader answered truthfully. “However, we are truly thankful for your hospitality, Madam Kanata. Takodana is our first getaway and we are looking forward to enjoying some peace and quiet. Away from the war.”

“Youth is a strange, wonderful thing.” The old woman said cryptically before passing him a data chip. “That’ll get you into the west tower. The second floor, room three. And feel free to make use of the lake.”

He accepted the chip with a tense smile. “Thank you. Veré?” He turned to Padmé. “Shall we?”

“Why don’t we see the lake now?” she suggested. “Just for a little bit?”

“As you wish,” he smiled adoringly at her. “If you excuse us, Madam Kanata?”

“Of course, Ani, go have some fun,” the old woman chuckled.

_ “Don’t worry about me, Ani, go and have some fun with your friends,” a warm voice said and he turned around to see a woman in grey robes with a smile, running her hands through his hair. Her eyes were brown and full of love as she stared at him. Her hair, brown as well, was pulled back in a tight bun. _

_ “But you have so much work to do,” his voice was small, childish even. _

_ “Yes. My work, Ani, not yours. Kitster, Amee, and Pala are waiting for you. Go, have fun. You’ve already done your part at Watto’s today, my love,” she leaned forward and kissed his forehead. _

“Set?”

Vader blinked, coming out of his trance. “What did you call me?” He stared at Maz.

“Did I?” she parroted with a smile. “Who knows?”

“Come on, let’s go,” Padmé tugged at his arm gently. “I think she might be a little off.”

“You called me Ani,” he insisted, resisting Padmé. “Why?”

“You look like an Ani, and I know Set is not your real name. You choose something to call yourself, and I will do the same.”

He narrowed his eyes and let himself be pulled away from the table by Padmé. He scowled when they were far enough. “Can you believe her?” He nearly growled.

“Maybe she’s just an eccentric old woman,” Padmé sighed, hugging him close. “Don’t let her behavior ruin our time together.”

Sighing, he relaxed into her embrace. “I won’t, she just got on my nerves. That stupid prophecy, calling me Ani… what kind of name is that?”

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I just know that right now, you and I are together, in this beautiful place, and all I want is to be with you.”

Vader nodded and kissed her forehead. “I know. Me too. Let’s have some fun, then, shall we?” He managed a little smile, even though the sudden memory had shaken him.

“Yes.” Her eyes drifted towards the lake and lit up as she saw the beach next to it. “Oh, this is perfect!” She let go of him and reached down to take her shoes off, running towards the water’s edge.

“I take it you love the beach?” Vader laughed as he followed her at a much calmer pace.

“Ever since I was a little girl,” she admitted, dropping her shoes on the ground so she could lift her skirts up and wade into the water. “It’s my favorite place.”

Leaning down, he removed his boots, setting them next to her shoes, before he stepped on the sand. Vader grimaced as his feet sank and he stumbled, landing on his knees. “Ugh,” he sat down, and start shaking his clothes. “This thing is horrendous,” he muttered.

“You live on  _ Mustafar _ ,” she laughed in disbelief. “And yet  _ sand _ disgusts you?”

“It’s coarse and rough and irritating and,” he shook his clothes again, “ugh, and it gets  _ everywhere.  _ I have a feeling I’ve  _ always  _ loathed it.”

“You’re remembering?” The idea shocked her so much that she dropped her skirts into the water and moved towards him. “Something from before you were taken by Sidious?”

“I…” he started off, unsure as he met her in the water. “It’s so fresh,” he marveled as he went knee-deep, meeting her. “I hate sand, yes, but I definitely love water,” one of his hands touched it and he smiled. “When she called me Ani, I remembered something for the first time. It wasn’t a lot. But…” he pursed his lips. “I don’t even know if it’s true, Padmé, I can’t focus or trust my mind at this point.”

“Well, then trust this.” She reached out to take his hands in hers, gazing into his eyes. “I am here. I won’t leave you. And I love you.”

“Loving me might be your worst mistake,” he shook his head, pushing her hair back, as he didn’t meet her eyes.

“I don’t care. I still do.”

“Do you know how many people I’ve killed? What he has made me do? You deserve someone better than me,” he whispered. “I love you. I do. I’ve loved you since they brought you to me. If you had an idea of how much you’ve changed me, of how you make me want to be better… but I have a past that I can’t erase and I don’t want it to taint you.”

“Why are you so sure that you’re tainting me?” she murmured back, leaning into him. “What if I’m cleansing you?”

“My teachings were grounded in the Dark Side. It’s contagious and powerful and I won’t lie and say I want to deny that part of me, because the truth is I like the power that it gives me. It helps me protect you. Where we live right now, that fortress, it was built with the Dark Side,” he argued before smiling at her. “You are making me discover a part of myself I never thought I had, yes, but what if something happens and I have to do something you disagree with? What if I have to kill again?”

“I won’t let the Dark consume you again,” she promised fiercely. “No matter what. I will stand by you, I will not let you lose the good man I know you are.”

Vader nodded, squeezing her hand three times before having the courage to speak again. “I think I might have remembered my mother,” he blurted out. “Or not. I don’t know.”

“If you want to, we can look into it,” she whispered

“No,” he shook his head. “I want to enjoy this little getaway with you. I don’t want to think about Mustafar, or Sidious or the future. This,” he pointed between them, “is what matters to me right now. I love you. I love you so much and I just want to enjoy that.”

“Then I suggest we find our room,” she said, smiling wickedly as she stood on tiptoe to press her lips to his neck. “Because there’s something new I want to teach you.”

A shiver went down his spine and his blood ran south. “I hope I meet your expectations.”

“I have every confidence you will.” He smiled, blushing, before kissing her.

* * *

“It’s good to hear from you again, Maz,” Shmi said with a warm smile. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“It has, my dear friend, but this is a call of a rather serious nature,” Maz replied rather grimly, adjusting her lenses. “A young man and woman are currently visiting my castle on a lovers’ retreat of sorts. The young man was rather interesting. Blond hair, blue eyes, a lightsaber, and a very  _ forceful _ presence.”

Shmi’s eyes widened and she placed a hand at her heart as it started to race with the possibilities. Their last trip to Tatooine had been a failure. No one recalled anything, no one cared. Shmi left the planet, once more, heartbroken. Ahsoka kept her positive attitude and Qui-Gon was reassuring but Shmi was grasping at straws when it came to looking for her son. “You think it’s Anakin? Did he say anything? Wait, a lightsaber? There are no records of him being a Jedi. Qui-Gon or Master Yoda, they would have known!”

“They are not the only Force-sensitives in the galaxy, my friend,” Maz reminded her. “He denied being a Jedi or a Sith. It is possible, however gruesome it might be, that he simply found it in the remnants of a battlefield at some point.”

“But what did he  _ say,  _ Maz? Did he say anything in particular about himself? How can you be sure it could be Ani? Who was the woman with him?”

“He reacted briefly when I called his name,” answered Maz. “I don’t know who the woman is, but based on their choice of aliases, I’m sure she’s from Naboo. Pretty thing, petite, brown hair and eyes.”

Shmi nodded, a determined look on her face. “It’s not much, but you have my gratitude, my friend. I’ll speak with Qui-Gon and we’ll be in Takonada as soon as possible. I’ll know him when I see him. If it’s Ani, I’ll know. This is more than what I ever had in a decade.”

“I will do my best to keep them here until you arrive.” Maz glanced over her shoulder, watching as the two young people in question ran up the stairs to the west tower, laughing and whispering to each other as they went. “Though they may not need my help for that.”

* * *

Vader shifted, uncomfortable. Everything that was  _ human  _ he was experiencing for the first time. Intimacy, real intimacy, was one of them and it terrified him that he wouldn’t live up to Padmé’s expectations. “Would you have preferred if I had done some extra research on the holonet?”

“No.” She pressed her lips to his neck, her teeth scraping along his skin as she reached down to loosen the waist of his pants. “No, this is perfect. This way, it’s only us.”

He bit his lip to stop the moan from leaving his mouth, hands tightening at her waist. “You, with experience and me, completely in the dark about this,” he muttered. “I feel ridiculous,” Vader added, blushing as his pants came loose. 

“But this way, I get to be the only woman who knows you like this,” she argued with a pout, stepping back to pull the ties of her dress loose from the back. “And you, my sweet, get to learn exactly how to make me forget any other man ever touched me.”

His blue eyes darkened. “I like that idea,” he whispered, captivated by her movements. “To make you forget every other man and for you to be the only woman I’m with.”

“Then help me get this off,” she laughed, indicating her loosened dress.

Vader tugged at the loosened dress until he was able to pull it away from her body completely and throw it to the ground next to them. Underneath, she had a stunning red corset that was begging him to be undone. His fingers worked fast on the clasps, watching it come looser and looser until he unclasped the last one and the corset fell away. “You’re beautiful and so, so  _ perfect _ .”

“And you’re  _ mine, _ ” she replied, gripping him by the waist and pushing him towards the bed.

“Possessive, are we?” he teased, enjoying this new side of her.

“Shhhh,” she kissed him fiercely before grabbing his shirt and pulling it open. “Get on the bed and trust me.” Vader raised one eyebrow at her ferocity, but didn’t comment and did as he was told, lying down on the bed and waiting for what she would do next. She climbed on top of him, straddling his waist with her legs. Raising her index finger to her mouth, she wet the tip and dragged it down his chest in a straight line to the base of his shaft. “I love you,” she whispered as she took hold of his member, making him rock his hips against hers and a groan escaped his lips. “And I want you to feel good. If you need me to stop at any point, tell me and I will.”

He settled his hands at her thighs and nodded. “I will, though, this is a very good start,” he said, squeezing her flesh and biting down on his lower lip as the picture of her, straddling him, looking so exotic and wild, made him already semi-hard.

“Good.” She leaned down and kissed him again, biting down on his lower lip as her pace increased on his cock. “Are you close?” she exhaled in his ear.

“I… I think so,” he grunted, rocking his hips against her, again, for more friction. “Force,  _ yes,  _ I think I am. Don’t stop.”

“Oh, I am stopping,” she teased as she aligned the hardening shaft so that its tip was brushing the slick folds of her womanhood. “Because we were just warming up, love. Push up and into me. One, two, three.”

Vader moaned as he followed her instructions and sheathed himself completely inside of her, the sensations being completely new and overwhelming, feeling her wrapped so deliciously around him. “ _ Force, _ ” he gasped, as he tried to control his breathing. “I won’t last…” he bit his lip as he moved, “too long.”

“You will,” she hissed, rocking her hips back and forth. “Because holding out will make it that much more thrilling when we both cum. Together.”

With his breathing labored, his hands traveled up her thighs, to her waist, until he cupped her breasts. They were the perfect size, fitting into his hands nicely and he fondled them, a thumb running over her nipples, acting on pure instinct, wanting to satisfy her needs and what she asked of him. He felt himself almost off that delicious edge, his inexperience making him lose control more quickly. “Padmé…”

“Hold it in,” she exhaled through gritted teeth. “I’m nearly there too. Nearly. Just hold on.”

“I’m trying,” he replied, breathing hard as he kept a steady pace. “You feel just too good, I can’t… I want to…” Vader threw his head back, concentrating on her request. He really didn’t want to let her down, but he knew he couldn’t stop his climax. “ _ Force, Padmé, you’re too good. _ ”

“Let go,” she exhaled breathlessly, and he felt the sensation of her own spill flooding against the barrier of his cock. “Go on and fill me.”

He didn’t need to be told twice, releasing his orgasm, groaning and grunting as he spilled inside of her, the sensation completely overwhelming, leaving him sated and in bliss as they remained connected. “That was…” he breathed deeply, trying to regain control of his breathing. “You’re amazing.”

“You will be too,” she promised, kissing his nose as she shifted their position so that they were both lying on their sides. “That was a very good first time.”

“Only because of my amazing teacher,” he chuckled. “Otherwise it would have been over quicker,” he raised one eyebrow. “I want to come as soon as I felt you around me. I never thought it would feel like that.”

“Give yourself credit, you’re a fast learner.” She pushed back his hair from his face with a smile.

“Fast enough that we can skip to our next lesson?” He quipped, leaning forward to nip at her pulse point.

“Give me a moment longer to recover!” she laughed in disbelief. “And yourself! These things take time, darling, sad as it may be.”

He pouted. “Fine, fine,” he chuckled, looking up at the ceiling. “I love you, you know that?” Taking her head to his lips, he kissed her knuckles. “I will do everything in my power so we can be together, without the looming threat of the Emperor.”

“I know,” She snuggled against his chest, sighing wistfully. “I only wish we could live in this moment forever. I hate knowing it will end.”

“One day we’ll have it forever,” he kissed the top of her head. “You deserve that forever. I am going to give it to you,” he whispered in her ear.

“I believe you,” she sighed. “But promise me one more thing?”

“Anything,” he kissed the corner of her lips.

“Promise me that you will be a part of that forever, because I can’t imagine it without you.”

“As long as you want me, love, I’ll be at your side. Always.”

* * *

“Shmi, slow down!”

“It’s my son, Qui-Gon. Do you realize how long we took to get here? A trip that should take two days,  _ two days,  _ has taken five!  _ Five _ !” Shmi exclaimed, flustered.

“I merely don’t want you tripping over your feet,” the Jedi reminded her as he adjusted the hood of his cloak. “It’s entirely possible that they are still here. Hope for the best.”

“Hope for the best?” The woman whirled around to face him with fury burning in her eyes. “I have been searching for my son for thirteen years. Without a clue of where he might be. This is the first  _ real  _ lead I have,” her eyes began to water. “You are looking for the Chosen One, someone that can put a stop to this war, but I am looking for the son that was taken from me.”

“Keep your voice down, you don’t know what bounty hunters are here,” he pointed out, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as they approached the castle.

Shmi huffed. “And you wonder why your student is such an uptight person,” she muttered.

“Obi-Wan was like that long before he became my Padawan.”

“He needs to loosen up, have you told him that?” She quipped.

“He does not listen to that advice. Certainly not now that he’s a Knight,” Qui-Gon sighed dramatically.

“I will pity the poor kid that will end up as his padawan,” Shmi shook her head. “Oh. Oh, there’s Maz!”

“In here.” The little orange woman gestured for them to follow her into one of the smaller alcoves of the main dining area. “Not in public.”

“Where is he, Maz?” Shmi asked, her heart thundering inside her ribcage, eyes wide with worry. “Please tell me I haven’t missed him…”

“They left yesterday,” she admitted sadly. “I tried to delay them, to find out their destination, but they refused. I am so sorry, my friend.”

Shmi let herself fall into a nearby chair and sob. “This can’t be happening. I was so close this time. So close.”

“We had a run-in with a gang of pirates,” Qui-Gon explained. “You have nothing to show us?”

“I got some security footage from their meals, but that is all. They largely stayed in their room.” Maz squinted at Qui-Gon. “Which I think you can pay for, as an apology to the mother you just disrespected.”

“You let them go without paying, Maz? That doesn’t sound like you!” Qui-Gon narrowed his eyes.

“I have a soft spot for young love in bloom, not that you’d know of such things.”

“I want to see the footage,” Shmi snapped, brushing her tears away. “ _ Then  _ you can pay Maz whatever she wants. If you had done what I asked you to, we would have been here a few days ago and not in a mess with those pesky pirates.”

Maz pulled out a holorecorder and set it on the table to let it play. The image of two young people sitting side by side with their heads pressed together flickered to life.

_ “I’m not eating bugs,” the young woman complained. _

_ At her side, the man snorted. “I checked. There is no five blossom bread or Iego angel cake on the menu,” he said teasingly. _

_ “There has to be something in between pastries and insects we could get.” _

“But she’s supposed to be dead,” Qui-Gon exhaled, peering at the young woman.

“It’s him,” Shmi realized with a sad smile. “It’s him. Qui-Gon.  _ It’s him _ . He’s alive. Oh, thank the Force,” she gripped his sleeve. “Who… who is she?”

_ “Insects are not that bad. They taste… meaty,” he laughed. “What else are you going to eat, love?” _

_ “There has to be something else, read the menu again.” _

“That mark on her cheek,” Qui-Gon pointed to her face. “It’s Padmé Amidala, I’d stake my life on it.”

“What would a woman who’s supposed to be dead doing with Anakin?” Shmi asked, her eyes not leaving the footage. She was seeing her son for the first time in thirteen years. She had always known he would grow up to be a handsome man, and she wasn’t wrong. “She was sent for execution. How could she have made it out alive? No one ever did.”

“I don’t know,” Qui-Gon said slowly. “This presents a new side to the mystery. And gives us one more reason to try and find them both.”

“Did they look like they were on the run?” Shmi asked Maz. “Or hurt? Afraid?”

“They gave me fake names, and were very secretive in general, but they seemed to be in perfect health. Especially judging from the number of noise complaints I received about the two of them.”

Qui-Gon cleared his throat nervously. Shmi let out a little laugh. “They’re in love, you say? At least I can see the happiness on their faces. It makes it a little bit easier to know he has someone.”

“Any idea on where they might have gone?” Qui-Gon asked.

“None whatsoever, I’m afraid. They were exceptionally secretive.”

“What do you think, Qui-Gon?” Shmi turned to the Jedi. “What are the odds of someone who has been missing for thirteen years, showing up for the first time with a dead woman?”

“I think it’s incredibly likely, but we still have very little to go on if we’re going to find either of them.”

“We can’t just wait for them to resolve to go on a little couple’s getaway again!”

“We can try searching the sector for them, reaching out to our contacts, but if they don’t want to be found, Shmi, there’s not much I can do!”

“Then what do we do now?” Shmi crossed her arms over her chest.

“We  _ hope  _ that this is not their last getaway. We have something, Shmi. Let’s call it a win and go home. We can trace a plan from there. The others will want to know Padmé is still alive. You were right to hope. And now, we all can.”


	9. Please Come Back Now

“Mmmmph,” Padmé rubbed the sleep from her eyes drowsily as she felt a warmth between her legs. Was she soiling herself?

“Good morning, sleeping beauty,” Vader whispered, from between her legs, kissing the inside of her thigh, before licking a broad stripe over her folds. “Having sweet dreams?” He teased, blue eyes watching her.

“Vader!” she squealed in delight. “Stop! The bed will be ruined!”

“I don’t care,” he whispered and kept moving his tongue over her clit, sucking. He pushed one digit inside of her, teasing her, as his mouth moved over her folds torturously slow.

“Foooooorce,” she groaned, holding back her orgasm. Three months had certainly turned the student into the master.

He added another finger, starting a slow pace as he delighted himself with her taste. If he had learned to love something, it was giving her pleasure and tasting her. He could spend days between her legs and he wouldn’t complain. He sucked at her clit at the same time he curled his fingers inside of her. “Come on, love, you have to let me taste you.”

“Make...me…” she gasped, fists clenching as she held back her release.

Accepting the challenge, he added another finger inside of her, increasing the pace as his mouth didn’t stop licking and sucking her folds. Vader enjoyed her squirming in his arms, just as he loved watching her come undone. “Look at me,” he requested as he kept his eyes fixed on her. “Look at me and let go.”

She took a long, slow breath, biting her lip as she finally unclenched her fists and let herself release into his mouth with a moan while her eyes rolled back in her head from the pleasure. “Ohhhhhh. You win.”

“I always do,” he whispered as he licked every last proof of her release and came up to kiss her lips tenderly. “Hi,” he nuzzled her nose. “How did you sleep?” Vader questioned as he positioned himself between her.

“As well as I did last night,” she answered, leaning up to kiss him. “And the night before, and the night before. But I’m still feeling sick.”

“You should see a medical droid. You have been for a week. I’ll ask the kitchens to do lighter meals from now on, until you feel better,” he sighed, showering her face with small kisses. “Do you feel good enough for me to ravish you?” He brushed his lips over her ear, his hard member pressed against her core.

“You mean you  _ weren’t _ just ravishing me?”

“That was a prelude,” he smirked.

“You insatiable monster,” she laughed, trying to pull away. “Let me go empty my stomach,  _ then  _ decide if you still want to make love to me.”

“You made me this way,” Vader laughed along with her and pulled back with a groan. “Fine, go. I can always take you from behind,” he shrugged with an evil glint.

“Vader,  _ please. _ ”

He sighed, sitting on the bed. “You want me to hold your hair?” 

“That would be nice,” she admitted. “But maybe you should go get one of the medical droids and bring them back here instead?”

“Anything for you,” he kissed her temple, before picking up his discarded clothes.

“Thank you, love.”

“I’ll be right back,” he winked at her before leaving the bedroom. Padmé smiled and watched him go before charging into the fresher to empty her stomach with a groan.

* * *

Vader was on his way back to their chambers, when he felt a chill run down his spine. Something was wrong. He could feel it in the Force. He should have felt it sooner. Grabbing his lightsaber, he didn’t waste any time in initiating his lightsaber and looking around the dark halls. He could feel the vibration of the Force. It was a warning. He wasn’t alone.  _ They  _ weren’t alone in Mustafar anymore.

They had been discovered.

“Are you so afraid of facing me that you have to hide in the shadows?” He provoked. The flash of half a dozen more red lightsabers being ignited filled the room, illuminating the faces of their wielders. “Inquisitors?” He raised one eyebrow. “ _ He  _ thinks you can beat me?” Vader whirled his lightsaber around with ease. None of them said a word in response, just charged him in unison, blades raised to meet his.

Inquisitors, while talented, were moved by orders and training. They didn’t let the Force flow through them. They were unnatural. Over the course of the past five months, Vader had been more in tune with the Force than his entire life. He felt more powerful than before and if had been feared when he was living inside a suit with Force suppressants, now, his power knew no equal.

As he fought the pesky intruders, his worry increased. If they had been sent, it meant Sidious knew. He knew the truth and he had come after him. He worried about Padmé, how defenseless she was and he needed to protect her, he had promised her that. Vader would never forgive himself if something happened to her on his account. 

He fought with a new vengeance, going for the kill during the fight. If he had to kill every single Inquisitor to get to her, he would. The Inquisitors continued circling him, every time he cut one down, it seemed that a new one simply took over, and they were wasting his time. Invoking the Force, he used it to blast a couple of them against the walls, rendering them unconscious as he struck others down. Vader didn’t care about the trail of bodies he was leaving in his wake, he cared about getting to her. Saving her.

By the time he managed to get rid of the Inquisitors and ran to the chambers, it was turned upside down, covered in scorch marks from blaster fire, and in the middle of the floor, Threepio, in pieces. He felt gutted as he knelt down to hover a hand over the metal of his protocol droid. Threepio had been the only close thing he had for nearly ten years and now he was destroyed and the love of his life was… gone.

_ Vader....  _ The sound of Sidious cackling his name rang loudly in his mind.  _ Your disobedience knows no bounds, I see… I don’t know whether to be disappointed or impressed. _

_ Where is she?  _ Vader growled in rage, leaving the chambers and following his Master’s Force presence.  _ If you hurt her, I’ll end you. _

_ The only way you get her back is if you defeat me, and you will fail. But rest assured, I want her intact too. For now. _

They were at the hangar of the fortress and using the Force, Vader ran as fast as he could. If his Master wanted a fight, he would get one. Sidious was waiting in the middle, lightsaber already prepared to fight. “Master,” he said sarcastically. “Your lie has come to an end.”

“And you have outlived your usefulness,” the old man replied, stalking forward and sending a blast of lightning straight at Vader. “The Jedi were fools in many ways, but I see their point in one thing: I started too old with you.”

He deflected the first blast with his lightsaber. “You stole me from my mother. You lied and kept in a prison of your making because you knew...  _ you knew  _ I would be stronger than you.”

“Of course I did. Are you so naïve as to think I would be so foolish as to let the Chosen One fall into the hands of someone other than myself?” Sidious snarled, not relenting with the lightning as he drew closer. “Or let him surpass me?”

_ Maz’s prophecy. The Chosen One.  _ The revelation momentarily distracted him, making him an easy target for the lightning to hit his body and paralyze his muscles. He screamed as agonizing pain jolted from every fiber of his being.  _ I am the Chosen One. Maz knew. She knew it. I am the Chosen One. _

The Emperor’s lightsaber slashed across the right side of Vader’s face, directly over his eye. “I always found it ironic,” he sneered as he bent over his former apprentice and plucked the lightsaber from his hands, “that of all places, the Force chose to have its supposed savior born a slave on a backwater like Tatooine. You were born a slave, Vader, and now, you will die one too.” His fist clenched around the saber hilt as he summoned the lightning again, shattering it into a thousand pieces.

Vader was fairly sure his body had gone into shock from the overwhelming power from Sith lightning. He felt the burning on his face as he fell, defeated. The shatter of his lightsaber happened before his blurry vision, the sound of the metal ripping apart making him cringe in pain. “I will defeat you,” he managed to say through gritted teeth. “Even if it is the last thing I do.”

“Even if it costs you  _ her? _ ” Vader’s vision focused just enough that he could see Padmé being held between two red-cloaked guards, a metal gag over her mouth and Force pikes blocking her. “Strike me down and she will die, Vader, along with that precious life she carries.”

He didn’t react. He didn’t know how to. Never did he think that it would be a possibility for them, because all he wanted was her. Vader couldn’t move. He felt the blood sliding down his face, he saw the guards dragging Padmé inside the shuttle that had brought Sidious to Mustafar and he wanted to run to her, to save her, to do anything but his body was shutting down and he was useless. 

She tried to reach out to him, tears streaming down her face as the guards jerked her back and into the shadowed interior of the ship. Something dropped from her hand, but before Vader could make out what it was, Sidious moved to block his view. “Pathetic. Goodbye, Vader. Perhaps I’ll honor your memory by giving your brat the same name after I cut it out of Amidala’s womb.” His form began to fade from view as Vader’s sight grew worse. The former Sith heard the sound of the ship's engines starting, and then, there was nothing but the hissing and seething of the lava around him.

Before he drifted into unconsciousness, he heard a few explosions and around him, the fortress came tumbling down. Vader was sure of one thing, if he survived, Sidious was going to regret that he ever touched her. Him. Them.

* * *

“I said take it outside!” Maz fired off her blaster again as she pushed the brawling bounty hunters out of her castle. “Crazy drunks…” The sound of a ship overhead made her look up and swear under her breath as she adjusted her lenses. It was in awful condition, covered in soot and dents, and being flown by someone who was either drunk, crazy, or both, but it looked oddly familiar too. As her eyes followed its trajectory, it crashed into the lake. “Sithspit,” Maz huffed. “Free drinks to anyone who helps me get the crazy pilot and that ship out of my water supply!” she shouted.

By the time they managed to drag the pilot out of the waters, he was in bad shape, but his wavy blonde hair and angular features were recognizable. “He needs a medical droid if he’s going to survive,” someone said as Maz drew closer to them. “It’s like he just escaped a battlefield.”

“Or something worse,” she agreed before slipping into a more commanding manner. “You two, bring him inside. You two run ahead and take some of the pillows from the dining area to make a cot. I need one more getting a medikit so that we can at least treat that cut on his eye before we have a droid look at him.” And she would have to make a call. This time, Anakin Skywalker was not going anywhere. As her other clients followed her orders, she opened her commlink and punched in Shmi’s frequency. “Shmi? Shmi Skywalker?”

“Maz! What is it? I don’t like the sound of your voice,” Shmi answered worriedly. “What happened?”

“He’s back, but he’s in bad shape. The good news is that his ship is too damaged to go anywhere for now, but you should hurry all the same.”

“ _ What?  _ What do you mean he’s in bad shape? Yes, yes, I’ll hurry, I won’t let anything stand in my way, but Maz, is he safe? How injured is he?” Shmi asked, frantically.

“I didn’t get a good look at him beyond the cut on his face and the way his clothes were charred. Some of my other customers are looking after him right now. I called you as soon as I recognized him.”

“Thank you! Thank you so much, my friend, and please… watch over him. I’ll be there in… two, three days. Sooner, if I’m able to,” Shmi said. “I owe you, Maz,” she whispered.

“We’ll discuss repayment after the family reunion.”

“Hold him there for me,” she replied and the transmission ended. Maz turned her gaze to the smoldering wreck of Anakin’s ship and frowned.

_ What happened, and why is Padmé Amidala not with him? _

* * *

His body was sore and his head heavy. Vader felt like he had been asleep for days ever since he managed to escape the ruins of the fortress in Mustafar. It was pure adrenaline and perhaps a blessing of the Force that he had survived the falling of the debris from the fortress after it exploded and managed to get himself into the ship and fly to the last known coordinates, Takodana. He doesn’t remember much except crashing into the lake.

How long had it been? How long has Padmé been in Sidious’s grasp? Why did he feel so weak? Vader wanted to snort.  _ So much for the Chosen One…  _

“Ani? Can you hear me?” a hazy female voice warped in and out of his hearing.

_ Ani…  _ he had heard that name last time he was in Takodana. Maz had called him Ani and had awakened a memory inside of him.  _ Am I Ani?  _ The voice spread a warmth through his chest, it brought him comfort from a long time ago. He remembers that voice. He knows that voice. How could he have forgotten that voice?  _ Who am I? _

“Drink this.” That was Maz’s voice. He felt a cup being pressed to his lips. He parted his lips to let the liquid inside his mouth. The water helped his sore throat and the rest of his senses to reawaken. “Better?”

He managed a small nod before trying to open his eyes. He winced at the intensity of the light, before feeling a tightness over his right eye and remembering how Sidious had struck him with his lightsaber and for a moment, he was scared that he had lost his sight. Trying to open his eyes again, his vision was blurry, but he could see from both of them, which was a small relief. Vader had so much more to worry. “Where…” his voice was rough and he had a coughing fit as he tried to speak. “How long?”

“Four days,” Maz answered. “You were in quite a state, but you’re going to make a full recovery. You’re very lucky.”

“I’m not surprised,” the voice he knew he should remember added. “You had this keeping you safe.”

His vision focused long enough for him to see the japor snippet being turned over in a woman’s hands. Padmé had dropped it when Sidious’ guards dragged her inside the ship and he barely remembered how he managed to retrieve it. “It’s a good luck charm,” he remembered suddenly, blinking.

“It is,” she agreed.

“I made it,” he added in a whisper.

“Yes.” Vader’s eyes drifted from the japor snippet to the face of the woman holding it. It was the same face of the memories that would often assault him in dreams. It was the same woman that he remembered when Maz called him Ani three months ago. Her hair was loose and short, the same shade of brown as he remembered. Her face might have aged a little, but her features were the same, her eyes still held that warmth that made him feel loved. “Hi, Ani,” she whispered.

He frowned as he followed his gut, his instinct. He knew who this woman was. Why she was in all his past memories. “M-Mom?” She nodded tearfully and reached out to embrace him carefully, trying to avoid causing him pain as she touched him. Vader, hesitantly, returned her hug. “He made me forget you,” he whispered.

“But I never stopped believing I’d find you,” she whispered back as she ran her fingers through his hair. “Oh, Ani, my little Anakin, you’ve grown up and I missed it.” Vader’s embrace tightened as he clung to her, eyes bright with unshed tears before he let out a sob. So much had been stolen from him by Sidious. He took him from his home, brainwashed him into a mindless droid, dressed in a prison made of black armor. He stole his mother and her love and now he’d taken Padmé and hers. He hid his face in his mother’s neck, not caring about his muscles protesting of his sudden moves. “It’s alright,” she whispered, rocking him back and forth. “It’s going to be alright, we’re together, and we’ll never be separated again.”

“He has her,” Vader said. “The Emperor, he took her.”

“Padmé Amidala?” a new voice, a male one, spoke up.

Tensing, Vader pulled away from his mother to face the stranger standing a few feet away. “Who are you?” He asked coldly, inspecting the man.  _ Jedi. Figures. Maz probably called the Alliance.  _

“Qui-Gon Jinn. I work with your mother.”

“You work with the Jedi?” He frowned, looking back at her,

“I’m a member of the Rebel Alliance,” she corrected, frowning back at him. “Ani… I need you to tell me, what happened to you?” He leaned back in his cot, looking suspiciously from the Jedi to his mother, showing no signs of wanting to open up. Shmi sighed. “Qui-Gon, will you give me a moment with my son, please? Maz, you too?”

“Of course, Shmi,” Maz agreed and Qui-Gon was going to open his mouth for protest before she interrupted, “come on now, Master Jedi, I have this brand new ale from Corellia you could appreciate.” Knowing when he was not wanted, Qui-Gon dropped his shoulders and followed the humanoid out of the room, leaving mother and son alone.

“Anakin.” Shmi took his hand. “He’s been trying to help me find you for the last thirteen years. He’s not your enemy, I don’t know why you’d think he is.”

Chewing the inside of his cheek, he thought for a moment before replying. “He’s a Jedi. He has not helped you out of the goodness of his heart. I’m sure he wants something in return and now he is in a place to ask, since you have found me. Jedi are selfish, egocentric creatures. Have you read their Code?” Vader shook his head. “They’re everyone’s enemies.”

“Ani…”

“The Emperor took Padmé,” he admitted. “We were in Mustafar. Where I have lived for the past thirteen years. I’m sure you heard a myth about the monster in the castle?” Vader tensed up, wondering if his mother would have been so eager to find him if she knew the truth.

“You were Darth Vader.”

“I  _ am  _ Darth Vader,” he corrected. “For years, he sent the people who have gone against him to me, for execution, and I have done it. Without a second thought. Until Padmé.” He paused and looked at the japor snippet she still held. “She was the only person I spared. I fell in love with her. She made me a real person, stupid as it might sound. He found out. Raided the fortress. Left me there to die and took her with him.”

“We’ll get her back.”

Vader observed for a moment. “That’s all you have to say?”

“What do you want me to say? You’re my son. You were the only good thing in my life for nine years, and then you were stolen from me. I finally have you back and you tell me that the woman you love has been taken, what else am I supposed to say except that I will help you find her?”

“I was referring to the fact that you discovered that the person you have been searching for over the past thirteen years is a monster,” he said quietly. “A cold-blooded murderer.”

“Does that make you any less my son?”

He bit his lip, a single tear rolling down his cheek as he lifted his shoulders. “I don’t know,” he said hoarsely.

“Do you still want to be what that horrible man made of you?” He shook his head emphatically. “Then I know my boy is still in there, somewhere.”

“I lost,” he sighed, feeling incredibly tired. “I lost to him and I lost her. It’s my fault. I should have been able to defeat him. I know I’m more powerful than him. I am. But I lost and this is all my fault. I don’t know what he’s doing to her. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do right now. How am I supposed to get her back?”

“With help.” She hugged him again. “You don’t have to face him alone.”

“I suppose the Jedi are willing to help as long as their  _ Chosen One  _ fixes all their issues by killing the Emperor?” He drawled out.

“Qui-Gon is not like most Jedi,” she argued. “But that wasn’t what I meant.”

Vader sighed. “I know. I’ll accept help even if I’m not a very good team player. But I can work on that,” he paused. “I just won’t turn into a Force damned Jedi,” he declared with a huff.

“What about a Rebel?” she asked with a small smile.

“ _ That  _ I can be. But I am  _ done  _ having a Master.” Her smile widened at that.

“Believe me, I completely know the feeling. Welcome to the Alliance, Anakin Skywalker.”


End file.
